The other side of the story
by JadeFrost666
Summary: Jade, choosen by Blade to be a new hunter, meets Deacon Frost, who is apparently not dead, but rather very alive, or undead. Soon she finds herself under his spell. And then, there is her old friend Marcus. And things change...
1. Trouble

Jade hit the box bag with furious anger. She trained so hard all day, but Blade wasn't satisfied at all.

Since he had accepted her as his mentee, she had to work all day without any positive feedback, instead he was always just telling her, she wasn't good enough to put a real fight, but, that wasn't her fault of course, in fact, as he always mentioned, she was just human. Well, he took her with him on his hunt, when he was sure to win. To learn the thing. Jade signed. Nevertheless, to be trained by Blade was an honour, and under his hard words was only the will to make her fit to his world. He just cared about her safety, at least she just hoped so. Since three years she was here yet, and you may think, you get to know the people better, but not Blade. After he found Whistler, he moved to this city, build up his knew Place in an old storehouse and kept up fighting the vampires as if nothing ever happened. But Whistler had told her. The death of his mother, with himself as the murderer. Blade wouldn't see it that way. He would say he just released her. But, since that, he was even colder than before, if that was possible. Karen gave up to try to help Blade. To get through his shield of ice, he build among himself. She loved him, but after a long period, she had to face that he would not be able to express what he really feels although the acceptance, that she was a part of his life now, was a great deal to him. Karen had understood this, but it was not the way, she imagined her life to be. So, she went on. Jade talked to her a few times. Karen was still in contact to Whistler, and she told Jade once, that, when she walked away, she thought, it was the best for both of them. To stop making each other unhappy. To see Blade like an addicted one, who would only wake up, when everybody quit on him. Guess, she wasn't right. Blade was emotionless as ever before.

Jade stopped boxing the bag and went to the bathroom. Cold, clean white tiles, functional as everything here. The hot water hit her sweating body, making her sweat even more. Then she relaxed. Washing her blond hair and rubbing her body she felt better at once. They seemed to have enough problems even without caring about Blades love life. There was this vampire, Deacon Frost, which had to be dead. He had to be, but he wasn't. Whistler told her the story as one of the first things, when she joined. Hard stuff, with vampire gods and all that. Well, that explained the shock, when one of their informers told her, he'd seen this guy in Detroit. So, they moved to Detroit with all their stuff. Slayers seems to be like grasshoppers, moving always to the place with the most food, or in their case, the worst vampires. Since three weeks they were here now, build up their place and visited the known safehouses. No sign of Frost at all.

Jade got out of the shower, rubbed herself dry and dressed. Casual clothes, Black baggy jeans and a tank top. She put on her make up. Black lines around her blue eyes, a little bit rosy lipgloss. A contradiction in everything. The platinum hair to black clothes. The little girls blue eyes and the rosy lips to the destiny as a slayer. That was the thing over all. She wasn't very tall, in fact she was 1.63 meters and her body was slim and well build. No one would guess that she was a trained to kill vampires. And as though some people laugh at her, she takes this as an advantage. Nothing is so powerful as a surprise.

Jade went to the main hall, where Whistler sits on this work desk and, as always, fixed something Blade destroyed the night before. Blade himself just leaned on the wall and starred at another one.

" I'm ready to party." Jade told him, full with energy. "Where are we going tonight?"

"I'm going to hunt, you stay right here." He answered calmly.

"But.. why?" Jade stuttered. "Oh, I don't want to stay in here anymore. It's boring."

"It's safe." Blade just said, turning away to leave.

"For fucks sake." She screamed. "I'm well trained. You took me with you so often. What's the difference here?"

"Here's Deacon Frost."

"You didn't even know that." She cried in despair. "You just heard of him once and since then, no sigh of life.. or unlife. And you told me so many times, that he must be dead. How couldn't he."

"Do what you want." Blade told her. "Go out and live your young girls life, but stop going me on my nerves."

"I'm not a young girl. I'm a slayer." Jade protested.

"You're a slayer, when I tell you are one. You will not go hunting here. That's too big for you, do you hear me?"

Jade screamed furious, grabbed her bag and ran out.

It was too shaming, Blade treated her like a child. Of course she was human, but it wasn't her fault, and Blade had chosen to train her. She jumped in her car, a black, small, damn old thing, which had just one positive effect. It drives. Not very fast or comfortable, but the life as a hunter was not very lucrative. And only the real powerful vampires wear original expensive watches and jewels, the mass of the turned were just bloody fools with not enough brain to make their life comfortable. Most of them were so impressed and proud of their new power that they just seem to forget to use their brains. Damn idiots. Jade drove to a bar a few blocks away. Many young people meet there to party. Jade didn't know one of them. It wasn't worth it making friends when moving away weeks later, and on the other hand, they know nothing about her life and the things that lived between them. She ordered a multicoloured sweet drink and sat down at a table at the end of the bar. Watching the crowd the decided not to think about all that anymore. Blade would calm down in a few days, when this dump 'the vampire who lived' thing would be over.

"Hey honey. New here?" a voice came from her right side.

Some importunately guy had seated himself next to her and Jade just wanted to tell him to leave her alone, when she drew her head to him and meet the most fascinating blue eyes she had ever seen. Like a little animal she got fixed to him as if he was going to hunt her down. His eyes were like lucid ice, so cold and deep. Her heart started beating against her chest.

"Yeah.. yes.." she stuttered. "I just moved in, so to say."

"So, you wanna dance?"

Jade nodded helplessly. What's wrong with her? She never reacted to a guy in such a way. She noticed the hand, he hold out to her and grabbed it. It was smooth and cold. He helped her stand up and led her, without letting go her hand, to the dance floor. There, he turned her in his arm. His hands on her waist, sending little shocks through her body. She laid her hands on his shoulders. They swayed to the slow music and Jade finally got the chance to take a closer look at him. He wasn't very tall. A head larger than she was. He was slim, but Jade felt the muscles under his fine thin shirt. His face was well-defined, high cheekbones, small lips, and these eyes. His eyebrows made a little bow and the right one had an outstanding scar, which made him even sexier. His hair stood up as if he just got up from his sleep place and some wisps fell into his face. He smiled at her, noticing her examination.

"What's your name, though?" he ask grinning.

"Jade.", she muttered.

"Jade.", he repeated softly. The way he speaks her name make her get a warm creep. "So, Jade, nice to meet you. Where are you from?" "Oh, nowhere" she said.

"Huh, that's a mysterious answer. Why won't you tell me?"

"It's not so easy.", she replied. "Rather tell me about you."

"Fine. I also moved in here a few weeks ago. So we both are strangers here. That's good, isn't it? I live in the outlines of the city and in fact, I'm just trying to build up a new life."

"What happened to your old one?"

"Huh, let's say, it ended painful. In fact, it does. So I needed time to.. regenerate, and now.. I'm here again."

"What are you going to do now?" Jade went into it.

"Hmm, reconsider my plans. There are just a few things to manage before. But enough of me, mysterious girl. Somebody waiting at you at home?"

"Yes, in a way, but that's not important."

Jade decided to let Blade run after her this time. If he did not need her, why should she need him. The man took her closer and Jade leaned his head among his shoulder. She liked the way he smelled. So male and so.. like more. Music turned faster.

"If nobody waits for you, why don't we go to my place. It's more private." He smiled.

Jades thoughts run wild. She wasn't the type of girl that.. but, this guy

"Fine, let's go." She said.

He leaded her out of the bar to the parking area. His car was a gray-black Porsche. He opened the door for her, longing around her. His body was so close to hers. Jade was trapped between his body and the side of the car. He looked her directly in the face, eyes meet eyes, and then he leaned forward to kiss her. His lips met hers. His kiss was both, soft and hard, sweet and hot the same time. He caressed her lips, sucked on them. As he released her, she felt cold and lonely. She slipped through the open door on the seat of the Porsche and he went around the car, took seat next to her in front of the steering and started the car with a loud sound. They cruised in the outlines of the city, barely speaking. When they were on the main street, he grabbed her hand, pulling it into his and pressed it tenderly. Every now and then he looked at her, caught her eyes. Then the car slowed down and he stopped in front of a historic mansion. It was a two-storey villa made from sandstone. In front stood two large old weeping willows that swayed in the wind that blows through its branches making whistling sounds. The night was cloudy and the full moon only shines barely down on them. He led her over a sandy path to the large two-doored entrance, which opened to the dark main hall. Jade felt like being in a bad horror movie. The floor was tiled grey and black in copious helix that ended in the middle of the hall. On two sides at the other end of the room ascended wide carpeted stairs to the upper story. The man, Jade noticed that she still didn't know his name, lit on the great chandelier on the ceiling. It spent a dim light. Jade looked around herself interested. He smiled about her bewildered look, then slipped his arm around her, pressing her at the closed door and kissed her passionately.


	2. Seduction

His hands made Jade go wild and when he led her upstairs she was too fuzzy to be confused by the surroundings. In fact, the whole house looked like Dracula's castle, just that it was too perfect to be real. The man went upstairs, Jade on his hand. At the stairhead he took her in his arms again and pushed her, kissing and hugging forwards. He stopped at a closed door at the end of the floor and let her in. The room was dominated by an oversized bed with heavy curtains made from dark red velvet. The curtains were closed except for one side. This was the place he laid her down. Hasty but affectionate he undressed her, kissing her hungry. She shared his feelings and stripped him off his clothes. The silken linen felt cool under her back and his body on her almost felt the same. For a single second it irritated her and she shivered. Then all thought were carried away by the movement of his body.

When Jade was able to open her eyes again the first thing she saw were the glittering stars. She stretched a little only to find herself surrounded by his arms. She lay on her right side, he lay behind her, pressing his loins hard on her bottom, his chest on her back. It felt so good to be held by him, that she avoided every move to not to wake him up. Night slowly grows brighter and finally dawn came. He grunted gently then moved and woke up. She turned round and was rewarded with a gentle kiss. She breathed a sigh.

"It's dawn. I have to go." She muttered.

"Mysterious girls have to leave by dawn, huh?" He said softly. "One may think you're a vampire."

Jade laughed. "Oh, I am not."

"No.", he whispered, still holding her save in his arms. "You're a slayer."

She stopped smiling. "Wh.. what?"

She sat up and looked at him. He stretched under the sheets, looking serious but relaxed up to her.

"How do you know?"

"Cause I'm a vampire." He grinned.

Jade jumped off the bed, standing naked in front of him, then realized her bareness and longed for the sheets to cover herself. He grabbed the other end and pulled Jade back down to him, bit by bit, unable to let go the sheet. When she was in his reach, he longed for her, pulling her back in his arms.

"Don't be angry at me, mysterious girl." He purred. "Kiss me."

Jade tried to fight, but he held her to strong. "I won't, bloodsucker." She hissed at him. "Bite me or let me go."

"I won't bite you. Not now. In fact, I kinda like you, huntress."

"But I don't like you, so let me go, or.."

"Or what?"

"Or I'm gonna kill you, freak." Jade answered angrily.

"Oh, yes, of course." He said spiteful. "You don't even have a stake as far as I could see." He gazed up and down her naked slender body.

"I will. Next time we meet." She fought free of him, collected her clothes from all over the floor and dressed quickly.

He watched her wordless just with a mean smile.

"Oh, you won't. You can't."

"I can. And nothing that happened between us will stop me."

"I didn't mean you can't because you so in love with me. I meant you just can not fckng kill me. Nor Blade can. Ask him."

"Ask him what?" Jade was fully dressed now, ready to leave.

And it didn´t seem that he wanted to stop her this time.

"Ask him about me. And greet him. He will be pleased."

"Then you have to tell me you name." Jade grumbled. "I can't just say the guy / vampire I had sex with last night send you his greetings."

He laughed. "Your funny, huntress. It's a shame I will have to kill you soon. We could have quite a good time together."

"I doubt that."

"Fine, your choice." He stood up, moving too fast for Jade too see, grabbed her hand and kissed her hand. "May I introduce myself, mistress." He breathed. "My name's Deacon."


	3. Marcus

Jade did not know where she was when she woke up from her distressful thoughts. She left Deacons place in a hurry, just wanted to get some space between them…a lot of space.

Then she wandered without destination. She didn't pay attention to where Deacon had driven her last night, so she didn't know how to come home now.

Her thoughts ran wild. Why the fck she had slept with him. Thousands of guys in this town and Jade got herself laid by Deacon Frost. He knew of course. That was why he came to her last night. And she was stupid enough to feel flattered by him. Blade won't be amused. She acted like a newbie. So long for her great I'm-the slayer-speech. Jade took her cell phone from the pocket of her baggy jeans. The dialling tone sounded once, twice.

"Yeah." Blades voice sounded stressed out.

"Hi, it's me. Can you pick me up?"

"Hmm, fine. Where are you?" The sound of his voice made clear that Blade had to do better than giving her a ride.

"That's part of the problem. I don't know. Can you locate me?"

"Wait. You're in the north western industrial. What the fck are you doing there?"

"I tell you when you're here. It's cold."

Jade closed the phone. How did she get here. Good question.

Better question for her: Tell Blade the truth? She shivered. It was really cold. She wore no jacket and though it was summer, the nights gotten colder.

The matt glazed black car stopped abrupt a few inches left from her. Jade got up from the curb stone she had been sitting on, her hands buried in her hands. With two fast steps she got to the car and sat down next to Blade. He moved off before Jade had closed the door.

"So, why are you here, alone and without knowing exactly."

"You waste no words, aren't you." She tried to make a joke of it. Blade didn't even smile. "Okay." She sighed. "I was in that bar. There was this guy and he tried to chat me up." She stopped talking.

"Go on." Blade claimed.

"I talked to him. Then he told me his name's Deacon Frost." Jade stopped talking again.

"So you followed him?" Blade asked with distant voice. "I, huh…yeah. I followed him. I lost his trace right here. Listen, I know that was stupid but.."

"Quit that." Blade demanded. "So, you believe he was Frost? Did he knew who you are?"

"Yeah." Jade nodded. "And yeah."

At midday Jade fell exhausted on her bed. Whistler had been calm but serious. Frost was a problem. How he managed to get back to life was a greater problem. And none of them had been able the answer to it, so they had fallen into glooming speechlessness. When Jade couldn't stand it no more she went to bed. Her body ached. It was a good aching though. She could still fell his hands on her body and his lips on hers. Oh no, that's not good, she thought, the guy was real, real bad. Especially for her. She had problems enough without him. Blade didn't trust her. And things happened tonight would not help to conduce his trust. She closed her eyes to block the fuzzy sunlight that fell though the blinds. Her phone rang. Jade struggled the blankets and cushions that she had wrapped up herself trying to find a position to sleep. She gripped the phone and looked at the display. Marcus.

"Hi." She moaned.

"Hey baby girl." Marcus said. "How are you?"

Jade sat up. "Hmm, fine."

"You're lying, babe."

Jade heard the smile in Marcus voice.

"Yeah, I do." She smiled too." Why are you calling?"

"Ohh, I come to the city tomorrow and I thought I will be able to visit you."

"How do you know where I am?"

"Babe. Don't underestimate me. I'm the informal leader of the House of Cthon."

"Yeah, forgot that." She said highly reserved. Then she burst out in laugh. "So, you watch me?"

"Sometimes. Just to know you're okay."

"So, then you're in good company."

"What?"

"Don't matter. I tell you tomorrow. At what time you arrive?"

"At ten o'clock at the airport. Should we meet somewhere?"

"Catch me at the train station. Blade's mad at me, so you shouldn't come near here, if we could avert it."

"Fine. See you tomorrow, baby girl."

He hung up the phone. Jade starred at it, feeling a little better. She had missed Marcus a lot. Marcus was an old friend of her. Blade hated the fact Jade was still connected with him, but also it had been the reason he noticed her at all and made her his mentee. That was before the internal war in the House of Cthon from which Marcus got out successfully and was now trying to rebuild the old connections and to establish new ones.

At the time Jade was sixteen, seven years ago, she had been at a friend's party. It was boring and Jade went out to enjoy the night and refresh a little. Marcus stood under an old apple tree in the shadows, smoking, observing her. First she frowned but then this man seemed so hypnotizing to her. She went straight to him. He had smiled. A cruel smile, she remembered. With his blond hair, his blue eyes and his sharp features he looks like the white knight in shining armor. But this smile makes her shiver to the bones. Nevertheless, she was drawn to him like a moth to the flame.

"Can I help you?" Jade had stuttered.

"Do I look like I need help?"

"You are standing alone under a tree in a strangers garden, so I may say: yes."

His smile has gotten warmer. "I was hungry." He just answered. "But not for this."

Marcus reached her an apple. She had taken it, their hands skimmed. His had was so cold.

"But?" She had questioned irritated.

"But for young girls, stupid enough to go out alone in the dark lonely night." He had shown his fangs.

Jade had stroded back. "You're not going to scare me." She had said with more courage then she had felt.

"I don't?" Marcus had reached for her, nabbed her arm.

"What are you?" She had whispered.

"What do you think, baby girl?"

"I would say you're a vampire. But vampires do not exist."

"They do." Marcus had tried to rip open her in the neck, pushing her head back.

Jade had moaned. "Wait." She had tried to scream, but it was only a faint noise. Nevertheless he had let her go.

"Why should I?"

"Will I turn, if you bite me?"

"Ohh, yes. But I won't bite you. I'll just kill you."

Jade had bitten her lip, chewing on it. "That's not quite fair. I'm meeting a vampire and he won't bite me."

Marcus had laughed. "You're funny, baby girl. And you talk too much. I hate it, when my food is talking all the time."

He had bowed then disappeared in the darkness. Jade had finally passed out. She had woken up in the hospital. The doctors had said, the air was too sticky and it was not unnormal for a girl at this age to black out. Her parents had been worried about it but she had managed to get out of her window the next night to search for Marcus again. She had wandered through the deserted streets, whistling a song to banisher fear. When she had been willing to give up and go home, he had been there at a single blow.

"Searching for me, baby girl?"

Jade had shrunken back. Her heart had beaten out of her chest.

"Why do you look so scared? You wanted me to find you." He had made clear.

"Yeahh… yes, but...such a dramatic display? Are you in a need of that?"

"Baby girl, you make me laugh. Therefore I will not kill you. Go home."

"But I thought.."

"You thought what?" Marcus had hissed at her.

"Show me your world."

"I won't turn you."

"You don't have to, please. Just talk to me for a while."

Marcus had sighed and then he had made her an offer. As long as she was going to entertain him, he will take her with him.

Nights passed and when Marcus had to go on, they found out they liked each other a lot. He called her from time to time. Sometimes once a month, then there was no call for a year. And just when Jade thought he had forgotten about her, he had appeared and it was like he was never gone. When Jade had been at the age of nineteen they had an affair for a couple of weeks, but when he was to go away again, they realized they don't loved each other that way and separated as friends. In fact, Jade loved Marcus as she would love her brother. He was her older brother and that was good. She had experienced adventures she never dreamed about. He had taken her at clubs, at distant places and even on the hunt with him.

One night Blade watched them. Her knowledge about the world made her interesting for him and though she declined to work as a double agent, he had taken her under his wings.

Jade liked Blades idea of justice. She did not think that all vampires were evil murders. But she wanted to save humanity from the vampires which where cruel to people only for fun.

Blade disliked her still existing connection to Marcus a lot, but this was one of many reasons they were arguing about. Over her thoughts Jade slipped into sleep, feeling better just because Marcus was going to arrive soon and she could talk to him about this damned Frost thing.


	4. Attitudes

The next day stretched like old chewing gum. Every moment seemed like weeks for Jade. Blade didn't spoke much to her, his mood was worse then ever before. Though he couldn't know what Jade really did when she had met Frost, Blade gave her the feeling that she did all wrong. Whistler was busy to find out everything about Deacons new life. Jade had told him about the old mansion. It was, Whistler told her, a villa from eighteen century. It had sat empty for many years. It was connected to many ghost stories, the type in which the owners die horrible deaths short after they moved in. Deacon bought it a couple of weeks ago, just before they moved here too. And, Blade saw this as an affront against him at all, Frost brought it under his own name, Deacon Frost. Usually vampires use the names of one of their stooges to gain real estate or holdings. Using the real name would mean they were would be traceable through the centuries. So Frost was either foolish or fearless at all. Not either Blade but the council would be disgusted by this wilful neglect of discretion. Whistler told them Frost also brought several other estate, clubs, bars and houses. He hired some companies for the alterations, the securities and promotions.

"Promotion?" Jade gasped.

"Yup." Whistler said dryly. "Seems that this bloodsucker don't want to live in the shadows any longer. His clubs open in a few days. Big parties are planned."

"Parties?"

"Don't bother." Blade said. "He won't party, he will be dead then."

Whistler walked to the kitchen table, took a chair and sat down. He flipped out a cigarette and lighted it. Through the cloud of smoke he blew out he said in his raw voice.

"Perhaps we should just wait and watch. Frost is just starting a new war against him at all fronts. Maybe the suckers are going to solve the problems for us."

"No." Blade answered. "I will do it."

"But perhaps Whistler is right." Jade noticed. "Look, if the Vampires fight each other here will be losses on both sides and we could wait who's going to win."

"I will do it." Blade repeated and looked at her derogative. "And I will do it alone."

"Fine. Do it alone. I can help myself." Jade had no nerve to discuss with him.

Besides she was looking forward to meet Marcus. And she was really not looking forward to meet Frost again. At half past nine she was dressed and styled and went down to Whistler. Blade was gone to the city to get some information. He wanted to find some familiars who would tell him, of course not voluntary, what Frost was about to do. Also, he needs more serum. Karen invented a new one. Stronger and less addictive, but anyway Blade needed high doses. It was a mixture of legal and illegal substances and the first thing Blade did in every city they moved was finding new sources for it. Doctors in hospitals or nurses. It wasn't easy because many hospitals were controlled by vampires. Blade was lucky this time. Frost hadn't settled down too long in this city so his network didn't spread so far, but Jade was sure this would change soon. Was that why Marcus came here? she asked herself.

"Whistler. What are you doing?"

"Karen called just this minute. She is worried about Blade. And so am I. He doesn't listen to anything. He risks the whole operation going this alone."

"Why should it do harm? He kills Frost and we move on. I hope he will relax a little after that. I miss our hunts together. Why he denies my help?"

"He just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"I hope so. I rather think he don't trust me."

"Blade trusts no one." Whistler smiled, then sighed. "But I think, and Karen and her team are thinking just the same. We have the chance to find out a lot about the hierarchies of vampire nation. And about Frost. Karen is very interested how he managed to get back."

Jade nodded.

"So, where are you going?" Whistler asked.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't tell you. Blade was in such a bad mood. I'm going to meet Marcus."

"VanSciver. He's back in town? That's alarming. You should have told me."

"Oh, please. Is it so important? It's just Marcus."

Whistler laughed. "To you, he's just Marcus. To any other he's a very dangerous vampire."

"Well, right. So you think he's here because of Frost? He never said a word about him."

"I'm sure they know each other. But for now, just have fun. Blade will get angry if he finds out, so enjoy tonight."

"I will." Jade smiled at him and went out.

At ten she was at the station. She didn't know when Marcus arrives here. He would have landed by now. She got herself a cup of strong coffee and sat down. People passed by, talking and laughing. A couple of girls, dressed up and in hilarious mood sat down at the table next to her and chattered. They were about her age. Jade allowed herself to dream about herself being with them on this table. She never regretted her decision to go away with Blade, leaving her home, her parents and her friends. At that time she couldn't image having a husband, children and a house. It seemed so boring. Being with Blade promised adventures and excitement. She didn't regret it, but the imagination to be one of the girls, waiting for some normal guys having a normal date seemed nice to her by now. To make it perfect some guy sat down on the table while she was dreaming. She blinked and got back to reality. Frost sat there, opposite to her, his fingers closed on a steaming cup and smiled directly in her face. Jades eyes opened wide.

"You!"

"Who else? Wait for someone?" he asked in a conversational tone.

Jade could not believe it. Blade was searching the whole city to find him and he got the nerves to sit here just right now and chat like an old friend.

"I do. So would you please leave me alone?"

"Thought I shorten your waiting time. You seemed bored."

"I wasn't. And I think you're not here to talk about my private life."

"Why not. Perhaps it might bring some light on the life of my mysterious girl."

"I'm not your girl. Why do I talk to you? I should kill you without another word."

He laughed. "You're cheeky. You won't kill me here. Too many humans. You won't risk them, huh? And besides, you can't do it alone. You are not so silly to think you could defeat a vampire on your own. That's why you just ask me to leave. Sweet."

"In fact, I did kill a vampire. More then once."

"New ones. That's not difficult."

On the table with the girls some young men arrived, hugging the girls. They stood up and went away hand in hand. Jade watched them until they were out of sight.

"So, you are here to discourage me?"

"You are in bad company."

"I am. Right now." Jade confirmed.

"I didn't mean this." Frost hissed, then calmed down. "Blade is not good for you. You know that."

"You prone to mood swings, do you know that?" He bowed his head.

"I do. Don't worry about that. As long as I like you, I do no harm."

"As long as I am helpful to you." She corrected him.

"You have the false impression of me."

"Oh, yeah. You're a really nice guy. Violate and kill people is not so bad, right?"

"Maybe you can change me. Make a nice guy out of me. Take serum." He raised an eyebrow.

"You make fun of me. I have no time for games." Jade stood up.

Deacon looked up to her. "Well, perhaps I do. Perhaps not. Come with me. You're on the wrong side. Things change. Turning dangerous."

"So, you want to safe me?"

"I like you, it would be a waste to kill you."

Jade sneered. "Don't raise hopes. You will not kill me. And you will not seduce me again. Next time we meet it will be on battlefield."

"I doubt that." He grinds knowing. "See you soon, huntress."

He turned and went away. Jade figured out that she forgot the time while speaking and hurried to the exit to meet Marcus.


	5. Admidst enemies

Marcus black limousine waited outside the station. When Jade went to it, the driver, a familiar in chauffeurs' uniform, got out of the car.

"Are you Miss Jade?" he asked her.

"Yes.", Jade answered uncertain.

"Lord VanSciver had been delayed. He wants me to drive you to the restaurant. He will meet you there."

Jade nodded and got in the car on the backseat through the door opened by the chauffeur. The black limo drove across the city and stopped in front of a noble restaurant. The driver opened the door for her and Jade got out.

"Please get in and order a drink. Master VanSciver will join you soon. Good evening, Miss." The driver told her and got back in the car.

Jade watched him driving away. It was late in the evening for having dinner, so it was empty and quiet in front of the restaurant. Jade was about to go in as she watched a shadow fled away at her right corner. The speed of the movement was too fast for a human so it must have been a vampire. Jade was not in the mood for hunt and fight but her encounter with Frost made her watch the surroundings more careful. Frost had known exactly where she had been, so she was sure his people were observing her. If this shadow belongs to one of Frosts familiars, she was about to give him a lesson how to observe people without being seen. He could send her greetings to Frost too. He wasn't as clever as he thought. Marcus was not in sight so Jade headed after the disappeared shadow.

Hasty she went round the corner and almost screamed as a hand reached out, grabbing her shirt and pulling her round. She tumbled hard against the man that grabbed her. He used the energy of her fall to pull her close, pushed her against the building with her face to the wall and her hands pressed over her head on the cold wall. Jade was unable to move in this position. Her hands held by his, her body blocked by his body. She winded her body to break free without result. The man holding her burst out a little laugh. His breath touched her neck. Jade knew this laughter and struggled harder to break free but the harder she fought the harder he grabbed her.

"You're not paying enough attention, huntress." Deacon whispered in her ear.

"Let me go and stop following me, you fckng bloodsucker." She hissed.

To her amazement he just did so, the weight of his body at her back disappeared abruptly. Jade turned round. Deacon stood there, a few inches away, smiling evil. "I'm not following you. I thought, you were following me, because you need a little more..."

Jade uses his careless behavior and attacked him. Her fist rammed against his chin while she grabbed his arm pushing him round. He stumbled back. He did not fell but getting away his balance and started an attack himself. Jade sidestepped to avoid him but he was fast. Faster than any vampire Jade had fought before. He attacked again in fast a row of blows and finally broke Jade defense. His hand hit her hard on her sternum, pushed out the air from her lungs. She fell on her knees and hands and made desperate efforts to breath. Deacon pulled her up. Still without being able to breathe Jade took all her strength and loops her leg around his right leg to make him loose his grip. Indeed he shifted his weight on his other leg and Jade reacted without a thought and used her chance. She threw herself forward and against him, knocking him of his feet. He crashed on his back. Unfortunately Jade wasn't prepared for being released from his grab, so she tried to get her feet on the ground, preferably next to each other. It didn't work. Jade fell over her own feet and landed directly and with all her weight on his body. Frost was about to get up when Jade pushed him back on the damp ground. He moaned.

Jade struggled to get up before Deacon could stop her when she felt his body shake. She looked in his face and he burst out in laughter. He laughed so hard he didn't even tried to get up. Filled with anger Jade got on her feet and pulled her dress back to fit. Deacon just laid there and grinned stupidly.

"Get up or I kill you right there on the ground." She had pulled out a stake.

He leaned on this elbows and looked up to her. "You wouldn't kill a helpless man." He smirked.

"Stand up then."

He got up. "Fine. I'm ready."

Jade decided that attacking is better than defending and started to fight him with the stake in her right hand. He easily avoided her beats side stepping. When he had enough of his game he longed for her stake and threw it out of her hand. Despite the fact she was surprised by his speed she finally reacted like Blade had taught her and placed a blow right on his nose. She could feel the bone break with an awful crunch. Deacon made a step back, his hand fumbled on his nose. As he looked at it his hand was full of blood. Frost snarled showing his fangs. His eyes glimmered red. For the first time he was really angry. Jade jumped back by instinct. He longed for her once more but warned by his frightening look she decided to run. When she was almost out of his reach he caught her arm but his hand slicked by his blood slipped up from her arm and ripped of the strap of her dress. The satin slid from her shoulder. She turned to fight off his next move when she noticed her naked breast. She panted for breath and noosed her arms around her body.

Deacon made no effort to onslaught her again, instead he said with an evil grin: "This scene will help me through the night, beauty."

"You should be happy that I won't kill you this night." She retorted, but it didn't come out that aggressive. After all, she was naked to the waist.

He turned, laughing at her and disappeared. Jade fumbled the leftovers of her strap to a firm knot, adjusted her hair and wiped away Frosts blood from her arm. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself down and went back to the entrance to meet Marcus. Marcus stood outside, leaning against the balustrade. He wore a black suit over a white shirt. He was always dressed fashionable but businesslike. He looked so masculine with his well styled blond hair and angular face. When he saw Jade coming he stepped forward to welcome her and embraced her joyfully.

"Hey, baby girl. I missed you."

Jade responded his embrace. "I missed you too, Marcus. Didn't see you for so long."

"I know. I make it up." He examined her. "What happened to your dress?"

Jade blushed. "Oh. It was nothing. Just a little accident."

"Okay, and the fact that you aren't in the restaurant but around the corner is part of this accident?" He smiled.

Jade opened her mouth for an explanation, but Marcus stopped her. "I don't wanna know."

He laughed. "I love it. You didn't do anything like normal humans would, aren't you?"

"Hmm, I guess destiny don't want me too." She smiled.

"Come on. I know I promised you, we spent this night alone together, but an old friend of me ask me to go out for a meal. And he is looking forward to meet you. So if you don't mind."

"I don't. Is he a vampire?"

Marcus led her inside and they sat down on a table in a quiet corner.

"He is." Marcus said while handing a glass of champagne to Jade. "I know, they are your natural enemies now, but he's kind of charming. You'll like him."

"Hey, you're not my enemy, and tonight, I'm in your world."

"Do you know this place? I heard they have the best carpaccio in the city."

"No, I don't. But I'm eager to find out. I'm hungry. I didn't have the chance to explore the city."

"So, you have been busy? Trouble here?"

They chinked glasses and Jade took a little sip. "Yeah, bad vampires around."

"So Blade's not here on vacation?" He laughed.

"I wish he would. Blade's insufferable since we moved here."

Marcus gave her an interested glance. "Are you sure Blade is good company for you. Don't misunderstand me, but I heard worrying things about him lately."

"You're the second to tell me that tonight." Jade muttered.

"What?" Marcus asked.

"I tell you later on. Why are you here exactly?" Jade changed the subject.

"After the I won my little war." He began then looked around the exclusive place, checking his environment. It was warm and comfortable in the restaurant. All around people chatted with each other and soft candlelight illuminated the scene. Jade was happy that she had dressed in fancy clothes. She hoped that the knot wasn't too obvious. "After I won" Marcus revisited the topic. "I had to face the fact that, although my people accept me as their leader, the council ignore me at all. These old pureblood vampires deny the fact that the House of Cthon is mine now. I'm so unimportant to them they didn't even deal with the change. It is difficult to reign a House without the acceptance of the council. I need other allies. So I am going to meet an old friend of mine. Maybe we can help each other."

"The one we meet tonight?"

"Yes, but tonight we won't talk about business. Just having a good time."

Two persons joined their table. A man and a woman. Jade noticed how beautiful the woman was. Middle long blond hair, eyes painted dramatic deep black, red lips. The woman noticed it and smiled. She had wonderful white teeth. They reached the table. The man smiled when Jades glance fell on him.

"That's absolutely not my day." She sighed and lowered her head in despair.

Frosts smile widened although this must have been painful to him. On his nose was a dark red scretch and it appealled to be swollen.

He took her hand and kissed it, sending her a tempting gaze. Jade striped her hand away.

Marcus didn't notice any of the mixed feelings around him. He introduced them. "Jade, this is my old friend, Deacon. And this is Mercury."

Jade looked bewildered at the blond female. Mercury was dead. She had to be dead.

"Cury, Deacon, this is Jade."

Cury grinned. "Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you."

"You did?" Jade asked polite in a sarcastic voice.

Marcus looked confused, then decided to ignore it and waited for Deacon and Cury to sit down.

Marcus sat down to her right, Mercury to her left. So Deacon was sitting towards her. He made eye contact. She hadn't noticed while the fight that he too was dressed in fine clothes. At least it was wet fine clothes now. His clear blue eyes twinkled with amusement. Jade twinkled back angrily.

"I can't believe you have the guts to come here." Deacon didn't even bother about her rough tone.

"I told you, I see you soon."

"That's a phrase. How should I know you meant it literal." Jade burned up with anger.

"I always mean what I say." He stated.

Marcus looked from Deacon to Jade and back. "You know each other?"

"Oh yes, we do." Deacon answered, looking at Jade over the table and winked at her.

"You didn't tell me." Marcus said.

Jade grumbled. "That's what I wanted to tell you later, remember?"

"Oh yes. So, have I to be sorry?" He asked sorrowful.

Jade struggled with herself. "Don't worry. How have you needed to know?"

"You didn't tell me either." Marcus blamed Deacon.

"I did not? My mistake. Must have forgotten to mention it." He said in a remorseful tone, while his face said to complete opposite. Frost enjoyed this.

Marcus shook his head at him. "You're as manipulative as always."

Frost enjoyed this comment as well. Marcus ignored it.

He turned to Mercury. "Cury, it has been so long. How are you?"

"Thank you. I'm feeling very well." She eyed up Jade. "Feeling very alive."

"Nice." Jade commented.

"Isn't it funny?" Cury kept talking. "After all you are sitting here with us peacefully chatting and eating?"

"It is." Jade agreed. "Because you should be a heap of ash by now."

"Oh, you're so brutal." She fakes a snivel. "Don't say something like that to a girl."

"That's insane. I shouldn't be here." Jade tried to stand up when Deacon laid his hand on her arm.

"Please stay. She will be a good girl."

"It's not her I bother about." Jade answered.

Marcus turned to her. "Baby girl. I'm sorry. I should have known."

Jade compressed her lips.

"Please, let us have a peaceful dinner. You're in my world now, remembering?" He smiled compelling.

"Fine. Armistice. But only because I'm so hungry."

Jade wanted to leave immediately, but she had been so glad to see Marcus tonight she wouldn't allow herself to give Frost the satisfaction to give it up because of him.

They ordered their dinner and a rich red wine. Jade took a deep swallow. The wine felt hot and burning in her stomach but helped her relax a little.

Deacon started the conversation again. "Marcus, tell me the news."

"There isn't great news. Building up my position is hard work, you ought to know."

"That's why you came here, isn't it?" Jade asked. "I should have known with whom you are going to meet."

Marcus smiled at her, glad she didn't worried anymore. "We are in the same situation right now. I thought it could be helpful."

"You're right, I think. What are going to do next?"

"I don't know exactly. I thought about buying some estates here. It's an impressive city. But as I was looking for something, my broker told me, this is Frosts territory by now." He smiled at Deacon.

"It's okay, you're welcome. But I have to warn you, Blade is in the city." He winked at Jade.

She couldn't help laughing. So did the others.

"Heard about that." Marcus told with a pretended serious face. "But as long as he is fixed on you, I have nothing to be afraid of."

"Yeah." Deacon grumbled. Then he gave Jade a smile. "So, if I'm evil, it's just a favor to Marcus."

"Certainly. You're too good to be real, aren't you?" she asked sarcastic.

"I'm glad you realized this at last."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Jade enjoyed her meal, it tasted really good. She looked up to take her glass. Her glance touched Deacon. He was really good looking. She was nervous every time they met. And not only because of his animal wildness. He was right when he had told her she couldn't defeat him. That was expressed very polite. She wouldn't have any chance against him. But he would do her no harm by now. He was unreckonable, but at the moment he just wanted to play with her. When Deacon raised his eyes she realized she had starred at him all the time. She looked away abruptly. But from then on every time she looked at him, their eyes met.

As the evening passed by and they chatted freely and laughed a lot, Jade dared to ask: "I'm wondering all the time. How did you mention to come back?" She looked at Cury. "Both of you."

Deacon watched her close then sat back on his chair. "Actually, I don't know. I woke up, days after Blade had killed me. And then, all I felt was pain. I took days before I felt anything else, and weeks before I was able to move. When I was strong enough to walk I searched the temple and Cury lay there wounded much stronger then me at this time." He cleared his trough. "And before you asked, I don't know why she isn't, what the word, a heap of ash."

Jade bit her lip and glanced at Mercury. She looked back with an inscrutable look.

"I think perhaps it was a piece of the bloodgods spirit that infiltrated me in the ritual. I was the one closest to Deacon." The blonde explained and nodded. "When Karen had sprayed me with this awful garlic silver fluid I thought I will be dead. But I felt this pain all the time. And then, I felt Deacons blood on me and I got stronger and stronger."

"You gave her your blood?" Jade asked Deacon. "I did. Dropped it on her. Everything I could bare." He looked at her with a soft caressing expression. "Then it took a couple of month until we could get out and fed. Horrible time."

There was nothing to say. She couldn't tell them, she was sorry for them or something like that.

"Why you moved in the ghost mansion? It's freaky."

"Precisely. Just because of that I moved there. Nice place." He laughed. "But I had to give it up. Somehow Blade found out about it."

Jade repeated his smile aggressive.

"But it was worth it." He teased her.

Jade felt her face blush.

When they leaved, Deacon invited them to go in one of their clubs to finish the evening. Marcus was going to stay at Deacons hideout.

Jade refused. "I had no idea where Marcus was going to get me, but I won't go with you to have a nice time now. That would be to much to not be treason to Blade."

"Accepted." Deacon stated. "Tonight you might go. But do not think I give up."

"Got that. And don't think I will either."

Deacon leaned forward, his face close to hers. "Don't make it too difficult for me, mysterious girl. I want you, and I'm used to get what I want." He turned away and got in the car.

Cury looked at her. "For a slayer, you're not that bad." She grinds and follows Frost.

Marcus embraced her. "See you tomorrow? You have to tell me how you met Frost. And why you had blushed."

"Don't make fun with me, Marcus." She begged. "But I will tell you."

"Sleep well, baby girl." He kissed her cheek and Jade took her taxi.


	6. Loyalities

When she came home, or better to say, the place she was going to live the next few weeks, Blade was just back from his hunt. He took his guns and handed it over to Whistler, who would clean and repair them.

When Blade heard the gate close he asked in a crossed tone: "Where have you been?"

Jade sighed, she had waited for this because she was sure Blade was pissed when he came home and she was gone. Gone to meet Marcus. Blade was really really pissed off.

"Out." She simply answered. "Marcus is in town, he invited me for dinner."

"You know I don't want you to meet Marcus." He said angrily.

"Yeah, I know. But I told you, you can't stop me. That's nothing to discuss."

"So why is he here? Didn't visit you for months."

"He's a busy man." Jade wanted to closes the topic.

"I'll bet." Blade said full of sarcasm. "Is he in contact with Frost?"

Jade swallowed. "Well, yes."

Blade stood up from the table on which he had sat and come straight to her, face to face. "Finally your weird friendship is a bit useful. Tell me."

"Tell you what?" Jade hissed. "I will not betray him. What he tells me is private."

"It's not private if it can stop Frost from killing mankind."

"I will not betray Marcus." Jade repeated and went away from Blade through the room. "How was your hunt?" she asked dull.

"Unlucky. Found a safehouse but nobody in there was clever enough to talk." He grumbled.

"Or they didn't know anything." She noted.

"Frost is too vain to keep his plans in secret. He even brought you to his place."

Jade shrugged. "I'm tired. I go to bed. Are you going to hunt tomorrow night?"

"Of course I will."

"Can I come with you?" Though she promised Marcus to meet him she would take the slightest chance to go hunting with Blade. They had so much fun the last years and she would do everything to be accepted by him again.

"No. I won't risk this operation because I have to safe you."

"I can look after me myself." She begged.

"I said no. Go to bed." He said with cold voice.

Jade was half way upstairs when she turned and asked: "Is it because you fear for my safety or for my loyalty?"

"It's safer for this operation to work alone." He explained.

"Means you don't trust me, right?"

"I don't trust anyone."

"That's not an answer, Blade." She cried frustrated.

"Okay." He bellowed. "You want an answer? I don't trust you. You're too close with Marcus. And you're not strong enough for this war."

Jade starred at him, but Blade turned and walked away.

When Jade laid on her bed, curled up in a ball and starring into the darkness she asked herself again and again if Blade was right. Perhaps she could not be trusted. This night she had eaten with Frost and Mercury and she had to confess that she enjoyed it. No, she told herself, she only had stayed there because of Marcus. And she won't tell Blade about the information Frost had given her. In fact, he didn't talk about his plans. He was vain, yes, but not stupid. Next time she would kill him, she promised to herself. Or at least try to kill him. Marcus would leave soon and then there was nothing else Frost and she would share. Her thoughts drifted away.

She woke up early in the morning. Unable to get more sleep she went downstairs and made herself a cup of coffee. The early morning sun shone through the dirty windows. She leaned back on the chair to feel the warmth of the yellow sunrays.

"Morning, girly." Whistler came in, yawned and took a cup of coffee, too.

He grimaced when he took a sip of the dark bitter mixture. Jade suppressed a smile.

"I know this is awful. Perhaps I will go shopping today and get us a new coffee maker. Are we going to stay long enough?"

They travelled with light weight package, things like coffee machines stayed in the forsaken headquarters.

"We stay as long as necessary. But I won't be sad when we move on. This place is too cold and draft for my old bones." He stretched and sat down. "Girly, don't be mad about Blades hard words last night. He's just stressed out these days."

"Not only these days. I'm with you for three years now and Blade grows colder from day to day. Perhaps he's right. He taught me all he could, but I'm not a half vampire like he is. And he isn't satisfied with the way I do this."

"There are other humans who fight bloodsuckers. And Blade need their help." Whistler tried to console her.

"Yeah, I know. Perhaps I should join them. I'm no help here."

"Maybe you're right. I'm glad you're here to bare me some company, but you're a young girl and need some fun and adventure and, of course, other young people."

Jade just shrugged and turned on TV. Enough of that. She curled in a warm blanket and watched cartoons for a while. She was getting tired again and was about to go to bed again when she switched to a newscast. Jade was full awake when she saw the pictures on the screen. A club only a few blocks away, gutted by fire with several police cars all around. The reporter, a brunette young female, commentate the pictures behind her in a quiet concerned voice. "A bloodbath took place here last night. Witnesses report about a single afroamerican man with heavy armour."

"Whistler." Jade screamed. "Come here and look at this."

Whistler came out of the small room he used as workshop.

"The body count is not known because the police closed the crime scene but unofficial sources said that there are at least six dead people, all men." The young Reporter kept talking.

Whistler turned off the TV. "They won't find us. Don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Jade asked in high tone. "He killed this entire people?"

"They were familiars." Blade voice sounded from the other end of the room.

"They were humans." Jade stuttered.

"They were Frosts dog boys. He would have killed them anyway." Blade explained to her but he wasn't really interested in her feelings.

"That's because Frost is a vampire. I thought we are going to save humans not killing them." Jade burst out angrily.

"I do. If I kill Frost I save them."

"And that justifies this violence? That's ruthless."

"We have to make sacrifices." He was cold as ice.

"No.. nonono.., there is no "we" ... I quit." Jade breathed.

"If you wanna leave, leave. But do not come back. I don't need traitors."

"I'm not." Jade shook her head, there was no point in that. She run in her room and packed her stuff.

She understood Blades point of view but it was not hers. She said this morning that she wanted to leave, but not this fast and not this dramatic. She said good-bye to Whistler, tears in her eyes. He promised to call her and tell her where the nearest unit of hunters stays. She looked a last time for Blade but he was not here anymore.


	7. Alone

Jade drove through the streets crying. When she had calmed down she realized what she had done. To break up with Blade in a great drama scene was quiet cool in the first moment, but it also means to loose the bond to the life she had lived the last years. Blade had made her leave her home and her family. At that time she had been hungry for adventures and travelling to new towns and countries. To where should she go now? She can't go back to her family. When she had left they had had a big fight about her future and her career. Her parents had wanted her to study and work in the family company, and when she had decided and leaved she had known she couldn't go back. So she was here without home and without education. She was a slayer, that's the only thing she could.

Jade squared her shoulders. She can't go back and she didn't want to. Blade was getting more and more fanatic and ruthless. Killing humans was too much. Perhaps Blade needed a little wake-up call, even though Jade doubted he would change his methods because she had left. There were a lot of hunter units all over the country and she could search and join them. Perhaps she could go to Karen and help her with her researches.

Later, she told herself. Tonight she would meet Marcus and relax a little. It was noon by now and Marcus wanted to meet her at ten at night. She checked in a cheap motel and showered. The hot water made her whacked. Jade decided to think about all this stuff later and went to the uncomfortably hotel bed.

She woke up in the late afternoon, covered with sweat and not relaxed at all. She had had bad dreams, the kind of dreams you wake up in terror but can't remember why. She kept lying on the damp sheet till her heart stopped pacing and beating hard against her rips. When she turned her head, the world turned with a little hesitation and Jade felt her stomach crumble. She managed to tumble in the bathroom and splashed cold water in her face. When she had gotten better, she showered again, dressed and leaved the sticky hot room.

The sun was deep on the horizon and in a few minutes it would be dawn. A warm breeze blew under her dark red dress she had decided to wear. Most of the time she preferred pants and tops, outfits more practical than charming but when she had unpacked her bag she could resist putting it on. She wandered around the park in the centre of the city. If she had walked in a regular tempo she would have crossed it and arrived at the station within half an hour, so she ambled around watching groups of students playing soccer and couples having a picnic on their blanket at the pond. She bought a hotdog and sat down at the border and watched the sun going down through the reed. The big circle seemed to dive in the slightly rippled water and where it touches the surface it seemed to turn the water into blood, red and sticky. When it had gone dark Jade broke loose from the peaceful scene and wandered in the direction of her meeting point. She didn't have to wait long. Marcus´ black limousine parked outside and the driver silent but polite as always held open the door for her.

Marcus sat in the warm back and Jade sat down beside him on the cold luxurious leather seats. "Hey, babygirl." He welcomed her.

"Hi, Marcus." Jade replied and kissed him on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. You look great." He said with a glance at the seam of her dress, the point where it fell loose around her knees.

Jade noticed it and boxed him on his upper arm. He laughed.

"Babe, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that you and Deacon…. Yeah, what exactly is between you and Deacon?" Marcus asked irritated.

"I, Ahhh, huh, I don't know exactly, too, I must confess. The thing is…" Jade bit her lip. "I'm here with Blade to kill him,... or I had been."

"You had been?"

Jade sighed. "We had an argue. You remember what we talked about yesterday? Well, you're right."

"So, what? You left him?" Marcus wondered.

"Yeah, I did. But I'm not sure what to do next. It was a kind of drama queen exit."

He laughed. "Honestly, I can't image you're a drama queen, but it sounds funny."

"It wasn't funny, Marcus." Jade said serious.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry." Marcus took her hands in his. "You need a little fun tonight, baby girl. You need to laugh a little. So, are you going to tell me what's between you and Deacon? You didn't answer my question."

"It's nothing." Jade lied. "Just that he is the enemy number one, so to say, and that's why I shouldn't have dinner with him."

Marcus looked at her as if he tried to read her mind. Sometimes Jade wondered if he really knew her what she was thinking, but he was just good about reading in the faces of the people.

"Okay, after you quit with Blade now, It isn't a problem any longer, isn't it?" He asked looking in her eyes. "Because, I decided to take one of the apartments in his tower rather than going in a hotel. It's easier, especially at daytime."

"You're trying to tell me that you want us to spend the evening with him, right?"

"I thought we could go to his club… I just don't want to stake him, if he crosses your way."

Jade smiled. "Don't worry, I'm absolutely stakeless tonight."


	8. In his world

The limo raced through the night and stopped twenty minutes later at the high tower building in midst of the outer industrial area. This was where the large companies had their offices, on the edge of the area, but far away from the work and produce places. A little closed in space for the managers. The tower in front of them was also build as office building, but rebuild as a high expensive apartment building with two or even one apartments at every storage, the penthouse, the most luxurious, was where Frost lived. The two storages at the lower end were the club Marcus talked about. A club, existing for years here in the city, known and famous. Blade had searched for Frost everywhere in the city and had overlooked the most obvious thing. Deacon wasn't to build a new life, he had took an existing one. He just bought the tower and the club and let everything go the normal way without calling attention to him. Involuntarily Jade was impressed.

Marcus laid his arm around Jades shoulders, stopped her from dreaming, and led her into the club. The doormen simply stepped aside and let them in. It was hot and sweaty inside. The room were crowded with humans. Jade didn't know if any vampires were there too, but Jade couldn't sense them as Blade could.

Fortunately the didn't stay long in the entrance area where people went in and out, the music from two rooms mashed to a unrhymed wave of noise around them. They stepped up a small winded iron stair and reached a private room at the upper storage. A grimly looking doorman opened the door for them and closed it behind them with a low soft noise. The room was stretched to both sides and also crowded but not as bad as downstairs. Here, Jade thought, must everybody be a familiar or vampire. The wall in front of them was complete replaced by a large window, which Jade knew seemed to be a mirror from the other side. Through it Jade could see the crowed moving and dancing, lasers lights broke on the mirrored outside and were thrown away again on the dancers.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" a voice came from her right side in a smooth tone.

She turned to see Deacon. He smiled. "I was wondering, mysterious girl, if you have the guts to come here. Inside my world. All alone." He went on in this silken voice.

"I'm not alone, bloodsucker." She hissed, not wanting to play his silly game of sweet talking.

"If you mean Marcus, you should watch behind you, huntress. At the moment, he didn't give a fck for taking care of you."

Jade didn't turn. If it was a trap, it was stupid to give in, if it was not, Marcus went away chatting to someone. In any case she had to deal with Frost alone now. Deacon still smiling at her with this baffling look.

"Well, I can take care of myself." She told and went away from him to the window, looking at the crowd and thinking about what to do next.

Deacon followed her but Jade expected that and tightened. "Don't worry about that, sweetness. I promised to take care of you. Marcus knows you're save with me, darling."

Jade smiled at him and turned away again, walking crossing the room. Deacon watched in surprise then followed. He met her at the exit door.

"I was wondering…" she said smiling.

"Wondering where we find a little space just for the two of us?" he asked with a nod to the door.

Jade smiled tender, turning to him and laying his hands on his breast. He responded her soft touch, his arms wandering around her waist, pulling her near to him. His face was so near, she could feel his breath on her lips. "No…" She shook her head. "I wasn't wondering about that, Deacon. I was wondering... how easy it is to make you follow like a dog." Her smile turned hard and she pushed him away and continued to go through the room.

Deacon stood without a move. Evil little bitch.

Then followed her again. He would make her regret this, but later, he told himself.

"You think, you're funny, huh?" he asked, when he reached her. "I just want to be a good host and you treat me like that? Really, you manners.."

"Oh, stop that." Jade interrupted him. "Do you really think I believe in any of your fckng words? You're disgusting. Not only you ruin my rare few days with Marcus, you made me argue with Whistler and break up with Blade so that I now have to stay in an awful cheap hotel room and that's all because you thought it was funny to seduce me and made fun of me…" she broke out and could stop herself.

"Are you two fighting again?" Marcus asked.

Both of them, Deacon and Jade winced.

"This can't be true, can't I leave you two alone for five minutes." Marcus shook his head in pretended disbelieve.

"We don't battle, Marcus." Deacon replied. "Jade told me about her day. Just a nice little conversation." He took his arm on her shoulders.

Marcus looked at Jade, not buying into Deacons words.

"Don't care, Marcus." Jade smiled. "Hi, Cury."

Mercury joined them with Marcus. "Hey, huntress, enjoying yourself?"

"Of course I am. In fact, it's really nice here. You made a good choice in taking this as your headquarter. Really clever."

Cury smiled. "Yeah, it's perfect. And so easy to buy. The former owner was soo lucky he still had a family he could go home to when we ended the negotiations. I heard he left the city soon after it. Good for him." she smiled politely.

"Are you really such a bitch or are you just playing it?" Jade smiled back even politer.

Cury burst out into laughter. "I like you huntress, I really do. I begin to understand why Marcus protects you. You could do great."

"So, both of you quit that." Marcus stopped them. "We are here to have some fun, aren't we?"

"Alright, Marcus, than let's start with something to drink." Deacon affirmed.

They went to the bar and took a glass of champagne. Jade took a sip. Why don't get drunk? She thought. The day could hardly get worse.

"So, you bought the whole building?" Jade asked Deacon to start conversation again.

Marcus was busy with chatting to the blonde and looking deep in her clear blue eyes.

"Yes, I just made a few changes in the penthouse, that's all. It was just perfect for our purposes."

"Why Detroit? I mean you could have moved to every other city are to every other country."

"Why should I? I like it here." Deacon said, watching the people around him, then turned back to her. "You thought I would escape after Blade defeat me."

"At least, it would be easier. I didn't have the impression that to be dead or undead or un-undead was such a good state."

"You're right, it was the worst experience of my undead unlife."

Jade couldn't avoid grinning.

"Oh, I made you smile." Deacon commented and turned her in front of him, pulling her near to him.

"It's just the champagne." She muttered. "And don't try to kiss me."

"Why not?" he just asked calm.

"Because…" His face was so near to her again. He rubbed his cheek against hers. Kissing her neck. She withdrew. "Don't do that."

"Why not. Are you afraid I bite you? I promise I won't."

"But I will. Try to kiss me and I bite your lips that you won't feed the next couple weeks, understand me?" Jade tried to sound hard and serious, but Deacon didn't even respond to it.

"Come, sweetness, I give you a tour. Have you ever been to this club?" With these words he took her hand and drew her with him.

"No, no… we just moved here, you know. And please let go my hand."

Deacon of course didn't let go her hand. "We that means Blade and you?" "Yeah.. we moved around a lot, but it's the first time I come to Detroit."

"And you and Blade.. what did you tell me about breaking?" he went into it.

"Nothing... forget it.. I was just angry and did not know what I said."

They went down the stairs and entered the main dance hall.

"Come, mysterious girl. Let us dance. It was so nice last time."

"Don't make me remember." She answered but let herself led to the floor.

Deacon took her in his arms. They danced a while in silence and Jade remembered why she was so attracted to him. His body felt so nice when he touched hers, his hands made her shiver and he smelled so good, so masculine. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. A single whip of his hair felt down his forehead on the right side, concealing this scar at his eyebrow.

"Girls in anger talk the truth, I noticed. So, you and Blade broke up."

"I don't wanna talk about this, right." Jade tried to break free, but he captured her.

"Alright, alright… I just wanted to know. I mean, you and Blade, have you been… you know… did he fulfil all you needs, huntress?"

Jade broke loose and tried to slap him right in the face, but he was faster, he had foreseen her reaction to his insult and grabbed her hand a few millimetres before she reached his cheek. He turned her arm on her back so hard she had to bow her head back to avoid the pain. That meant to give up her defeat to him and he used this moment of weakness. His kiss was so hard, so challenging. His lips opened hers without resistance. For a few seconds she can't breathe, then he let go her arm and his kiss got smoother, his tongue licked her lips, his hand went down her back, caressing her through the thin cloth. With a sigh of lust and abandon Jade gave in. Hot showers went through her body and when he let her go, Deacon could read the disappointment in her eyes.

"If you want more, sweetness, you just have to ask." He mocked her.

Jade felt so weak she could hardly stand.

"No?" He went on, as she didn't answered. "Okay, then we continue with the tour."

Totally relaxed he took Jade with him again. He knew he was in control now, and Jade knew it, too, but this time it made the whole thing more exiting.


	9. To give in

Deacon led her to a part of the club in the back, where it was quieter, more private. The music wasn't so loud here and more security guards and lesser visitors were around. On the further end an elevator was hidden in the wall, same color as the panelling, so that it was almost invisible except for a simple chrome button. Deacon pushed it and after a few seconds the elevator opened with a soft "ping". He led Jade inside and the doors closed soundless behind them. Inside the light was blinding white.

Jade noticed a low grumble in her stomach when the elevator accelerated. Deacon saw her face and grinned.

"Nice, huh?" he asked.

"How high we are going up?" she asked and bit her lip. She didn't like elevators at all.

"Thirteenth floor." he answered. "What did you think?"

"Everything planned to the last detail, isn't it, Deacon?" Jade asked acidulous. "What is my part in you're calculation?"

"I must confess," Deacon nodded. "I just don't fckng know. Perhaps you're the unknown in this equation. The residual risk."

"So, that's it? You had made a plan that couldn't fail and in spite of that you let the unknown alive? Are you such a player?"

"What's life without risk?" he smiled. Jade had the impression, only for a split second, that his smile was a bit doubtful and repenting, but it faded away. When they left the elevator Deacon was self-confident and arrogant as always.

The elevator opened to a kind of front hall. Walls were painted in cream colored white with the structure of rendering. To complete the image, electric torches hung on the walls. The only door lay in front of them. Bare metal with made scratches. Deacon opened it with password and fingerprints.

"Aren't you feeling safe?" Jade asked amused.

"I'm not safe as long as Blade lives."

"You really think you are when he is dead? Such an exaggerated opinion you have of yourself. There are dozens of other hunter units out there."

"They are human. And I, sweetness, have been a god. They can't get me, you don't need to be afraid." he said in a low voice.

Deacon had closed the door behind them, now he had turned and as he talked, he put a strand of her hair behind her ear, caressing and soft. Jade concentrated not to give in.

"You said it." she answered and pulled her head away from his hand. "You have been a god. You are a simple bloodsucker now. So don't be boasting."

"I'm not. Can't you feel the shimmer of divinity that encompasses me?" he mocked her.

"I feel the glimmer of shit that encompasses you." she hissed.

Deacon gave out a laughing sound. "So, let me be a good host at least and show you around."

The living room was really large. Stretched over the whole of the apartment. From the front door to the windows at the other side of the building. Four doors branched off, two on every side to her left and her right. The windows took the entire wall so that you think you stood right in the air. And they elongated to the ceiling. The half of the room was bathed in moonlight. Jade stood and watched fascinated the sparkling of the stars.

"Nice, isn't it?" Deacon asked, standing behind her so close that his chest touched her back. She could feel him breathing.

"It's wonderful." Jade whispered.

She couldn't fight it. Deacon laid his arms around her and slowly turned her round. Now they stand face to face. His deep blue eyes so near to hers. Dark and golden point into them were visible to her.

"No, please." She begged.

But when his lips touched hers, she was helpless. The kiss was so soft and at the same time claiming and begging.

Jade gave in, and it was no longer a victory for Deacon. He, himself, was lost.

When they separated, they were both speechless.

"We can't let that happen, Deacon." Jade breathed.

"No, never. It's just an illusion, sweetness." Deacon agreed in a hoarse voice. "Love didn't exist. It's just a reaction of the body to lust. Hormones that release endorphin."

"And lovesickness is just a sudden absence of that. Lovers are like addictives." Jade complemented.

"Yeah, it's only cold turkey." Deacon nodded. "And both of us are strong enough to get through it."

"Right. So, we should part now and stop this."

"As fast as possible."

Both of them took a step backwards, looking at each other. Jade bit her lip. Deacons eyes searched hers. When they made eye contact again, Jade flew in his arms. The kiss seemed to go on forever.

"Jade, sweetness, that won't turn out well."

"I know. We have to stop." They kissed again. "Immediately."

"Yes, immediately." Jade shivered under his touch.

He sucked on the lips, his mouth closed hers with a hard grip. Jade grabbed her fingers in Deacons shirt.

"Immediately when the sun come up." Deacon whispered in her ear and pressured his face in the space between her shoulder and neck.

Jade didn't answer and when Deacon lifted her and carried her to his bedroom, she just led out a sigh of relief.


	10. Betrayal

She remembered last time she laid in Deacons arms letting him so near to her, gave him it all. But this time it was different. This time she knew who he was and what he was. And in spite of everything she desired him more than ever before. Kissing him she let him take control of it. He undressed her, caressing every piece of skin he uncovered. Then she was naked under him. He watched her winding under him.

"You look so beautiful, sweetness." He said throaty.

Jade blushed in an attack of shyness. "Deacon, please."

He understood her need. Caressing he came to her, showed her how to touch him, made her feel his cold skin. She delved his body. The little scars, his fingers and toes, his hair and nails, unchanging forever. When she knew every inch of his body, he pulled her up to him, taking her in his arms and hold her tight. He loved her with patience and softness.

"Deacon?" she asked without breath, lying in his arms. Their both bodies covered with sweat and shivering with the fading feeling of lust. "I'm here, sweetness." He said, kissing her neck. "Can you bite me without forcing the change?" Her voice was so quite she thought he didn't hear her.

"No, I can't. But I can do this." His fingers petted up and down her throat. Hid nails elongated and then torn her flesh in a small cut. The pain was short and surprising. Jade gasped, but it was over in the same second. She felt his mouth closing over the wound and a light suction which was so thrilling that she gave in to it with all her mind. She could fell her blood flew out of her body and with the dizziness came the hot burning in her belly. His fingers followed the feeling, caressing her spot. Her breathing came faster and faster. Jade winded in his arms, pushing herself against his body behind him. Then she explode again and again and then blanked out in deep darkness.

First thing she realized after waking up again was his arm on her waist and his chest where she had bedded her head upon. She enjoyed feeling his skin, his smell and his regular sleeping breathing. She could hear the slow beating of his heart, pushing the blood through his body with the only function to spread the oxygen from his victims blood through his undead body. Her oxygen and her blood, she realized. What had she had done? It had been so seductive, so irresistible to let it all go. If he had wanted to bite her, she hadn't defeated herself. If she would stay here, stay with him, sooner or later he would ask her and she wasn't sure she would decline it.

Slowly she managed to stand up, grabbed her clothes and dressed while leaving. Deacon slept peaceful in the warm bed, deep in dreams. Jade put on her dress and her shoes and fled his apartment. With the elevator she reached the club, now abandoned and closed. An emergency exit led her outside in the bright sunlight. She stopped and enjoyed the hot sun on her face with closed eyes. An overwhelming sob shook her. Tears burst out and ran down her cheeks. She knew she had to go. Not because she couldn't trust him but rather because she could not trust herself. For her own wealth she must not see him ever again. Crying she went to the next big street and called her a cab.

When she reached the hotel her eyes were dry and she felt nothing but emptiness. Sitting on the unmade bed she called Karen.

"Jade. Good to hear you. Blade told me you left. Are you okay?" Karen asked.

Jade swallowed hard. "I'm fine." She lied while tears came to her eyes again. "I thought, perhaps, I could join your unit for a while. Maybe I'm helpful."

"Of course you're welcome, Jade. We need capable hunters out here. Most of us are researchers and the few slayers are almost kids. But, is it that bad with Blade?" Karen wanted to know.

"Blade's out of control Karen. He isn't longer the guardian of human nation. He's on his personal campaign against Deacon."

There were a second of silence.

"Deacon?" Karen asked serious. "So it is true? You're in contact with him?"

"I.. I'm.. Yeah, I am, I was… oh, Karen, please ask. It's over." She sighed. "And, please trust me. I would do nothing that would do harm to you or your unit."

"I know that, darling. But after all, I don't know what happened but.. Are you sure about your loyalty?"

"I don't know… I mean, can't Promise.. perhaps your right… I shouldn't come to you.."

"No, darling, please come. I miss you. Come to me and find out what you want to do, okay?"

"Thank you, Karen. It means so much to me. I catch my stuff and will be with you soon."

"Call me, when you're ready. I will tell you our coordinates."

When Jade had hung up she felt completely restless. She shoved her stuff back in her bag, paid and left the hotel. At Blade hide out she still didn't know what to tell him. Had she to tell him anything? She didn't even know if Blade was to talk to her.

She crossed the blank yard and opened the small door next to the roller shutter of the fabric hall. Three people turned surprised to her, pulling out their guns and aiming at her. Jade stopped short.

"Don't shoot, it's me!" she screamed at Whistler, Blade and the third man.

The men lowered their weapons.

"Jade. Fck. How can you come in here without warning? I was going to shoot you." Blade screamed furious.

"Realized that." Jade answered dryly.

She looked at the third man. She knew him, but she did not know why.

"What do you want?" Blade asked calmed down. "I just wanted to…"…catch my stuff.

That was she wanted to say. But in the same moment she remembered the man. Deacons chief of security. She had seen him from the window beyond the club. And in this moment she could be lucky he didn't saw her.

"..apologize. I just wanted to apologize." She ended the sentence.

Her thoughts ran wild. Blade and a familiar? Frosts familiar? Something was real real wrong here. "I was wrong, Blade, and I wanted to tell you I am sorry."

"Means you come back?" He questioned with raised eyebrow.

"Yeah.. Yes I will. I mean, I was with Marcus and all he wanted me to do is change sides. I left him as soon as I could."

"Fine. I hope you learned your lesson." Blade said sternly.

Jade was surprised of two things. First: She could lie without blushing. Second: Blade took the risk of trusting here again because he needed her. Blade took her silence as affirmation.

"While you were straying around, I made the final move in this war. May I introduce? This is Jack Dreed. Frosts first man." He smiled in certain of success.

Jade looked at Jack. He was a tall man with grey eyes, thin hair and uninteresting features. Deacon had made a good choice by took him as his right hand. He could have shoot someone in a crowded street and no one would remember him. Okay, not a good choice at all, in fact, his man was about to betray him. Jade had to smile after all. Deacons plan wasn't as perfect as he thought and not she was the unknown.

"Why are you smiling?" Blade asked rude.

Jade looked up. "I just thought… Frost isn't a good connoisseur of human nature, isn't he? Lucky for us, in fact."

"Frost is an arrogant rogue." Dreeds told her in a tone, so bitter Jades mouth ran dry. "He only cares about himself. That's why he will be dead soon. And I wish I could give it myself to this selfish Bastard.."

"You.." Blade stopped him. "You will just do what I tell you or you will ruin it all, understand me?"

Dreed pressed his lips together but silenced.

"So, what's the plan?" Jade questioned careful.

Blade looked at her for a long time. "Sit down. I will tell you."


	11. Which way to go

Jade sat down on the kitchen table. It was sticky but cold here.

Jack Dreed, Frosts first man sat down beside her. Blade preferred it to go up and down the room. Whistler sat down and laid his stiff leg on another chair.

Let´s make it short." Blade said. "The plan is simple and effective. We wait till morning. The time the sun goes up. Jack told us when Frost and all his stuff will be at home. He shuts down the alarm system and opens the doors for us. The security guard will be busy at another place in the house. They will be easy to handle. Jack will take care of this. They will be an easy prey. After that I will pay attention to Frost. And this time I will make sure, he stays dead."

"It´s not as simple as that." Dreed cut Blade off. "I have to take care…"

"Quit that." Blade stood up. "We know your job. You will get your reward, don't mind."

Jade sat there listing with unstressed expression.

Inside her thoughts were pacing through her mind. The shock shaked her.

What was to do? Going to Deacon was betrayal to Blade. Her simple presence here was betrayal to Blade.

She would not join this crazy plan to overthrow deacons dominance over the city. And she couldn´t do nothing and watch him die. So all she could do was to warn him.

But that meant to change allegiance whether or not she would join the fight.

"Jade. Your part is to give us all needed information. Though our friend here knows all about the alarm systems and guards but we need the intimate facts. When does Frost go to bed? When will he sleep? How is his room saved? Are there any systems Freed didn´t know about. And first of all we need the code of his personal entrance." Blade introduced her.

"I cannot follow you." Jade asked slowly. "What do you want me for?"

"I think you understand exactly. You are the only one to come near him. He knows you. He wants you. Don´t look like that. He has a special interest of you. You are young and beautiful. With a little flirt and Marcus help it will be easy for you to seduce him."

"You want me to go to bed with him only to get information. You can´t be serious."

"I am. You want to hunt with me? Here´s your chance."

"That´s not a good fight. That´s prostitution."

"That´s a special mission. You wanted me to trust you. Proof it."

Whistler shook his head. "I told you it´s madness. She won´t do. That´s a good decision. It´s no mission for a young girl."

"No." Jade said coldly. "I will do it." It was the only way to warn Deacon without raising suspicion. "I´m glad you trust me." She smiled. It was true. The first time he trusted her and his trust would be his failure. "Tonight is the great opening of Frosts club. If I ask him Marcus will take me there. It should be easy with Marcus help to come near him."

"Fine, the faster we have all information the faster we can do this."

"Just one thing. How will you know how he behave when he isn´t with me? Maybe he changes his schedule if he sleeps alone."

Blade laughed. There was no fun in it. It was a cold hard laughter. "Frost never sleeps alone."

Jade went to her room. She called Karen to tell her she wouldn´t come today.

"You have along with Blade? Are you sure? You sound anxious."

"I´m fine. I tell you everything later. I have just one plea. Don´t tell Blade about this, okay? He would be angry bout it."

"But you have to tell him about your problems with his attitude, Jade, or I will."

"I will do it, Karen, after this. I promise."

"Take care of yourself, Jade."

"Bye, Karen."

She hung up and called Marcus to arrange a meeting for tonight.

"Hey babygirl, how are you? I´m sorry I didn´t take care of you last night. I´m such a bad friend these days." He said with sad voice.

"Don´t worry, Marcus. I´m only sorry we spent so little time together. But I´m selfish. You got so much work to do. So, do we meet tonight?"

"Of course, if you want to. I had the impression you didn´t enjoy the company." He asked carefully.

"Yeah, but… I tell you when at our meeting. But I need one thing from you…"

"Anything you want, babygirl."

"Before we meet the others, I need to talk to you. Alone."

"Oh, babygirl, of course we can talk. I love you."

Jade signed. "I love you too, Marcus."

At seven o´clock in the evening Jade got in Marcus limo. Marcus instructed the driver to drive slowly through the city.

"So, babygirl. Whatever you are doing, it´s not good for you. You are tensed and nervous. Please, tell me everything."

"I will, Marcus. I need you so much. I don´t know what to do."

She told him about Deacon. How they met till the moment she left him in the morning.

Marcus kept silent for a while. Then her grimaced. "I will kill this damned motherfcker for this. To threaten and violate and seduce my little babygirl." His voice was calm but bitter. Marcus was the type of guy who don´t have to scream to scary someone. "And I, I let you alone with this bastard. Did he hurt you?"

"A little, Marcus. But I´m used to that." She smiles widely. "And I broke his nose, remember? That made amends for the most of it."

"Yeah, but I didn´t meant that. I know you're tough. But you´re still a little girl…"

"Marcus, I wasn´t a little girl, when we met six years ago. And now I´m grown up."

"You are always my babygirl. And yes, you grown up, you're a slayer and take care of yourself. But you were never in love and now… there is this good looking guy who knows how to talk and how to tread a woman."

Jade burst out in laughter. "Oh, he didn´t treat me very polite, Marcus. But I know what you mean. And you're right. I´m in love with him. If he feels the same, or not… we will see."

Marcus examined her. "You know he was never… hmmm, the kind of man that prefers living with just one woman..."

"Oh, Marcus, stop that. I know that… don´t think I´m stupid. I left him this morning because I know all that. Because this would be inviting trouble."

"I don´t think that, Jade. I think you're young and innocent and when you love somebody you love him with all your heart."

"How will you know?" She hissed

"Because you love me." He smiled.

"There´s something else I have to tell you. It´s serious. Please just listen, okay?"

She told him about Blade, Dreed and Karen, about her mission and Blades plan. He listened and his face turned more and more worried.

"Five minutes ago I don´t wanted you to see Deacon ever again. Now I suggest we hurry up to him."

Jade nodded. "Yes, please, Marcus…"

He lowered the dark window to the driver and told him to get to Frosts house fast. Then he turned back to Jade. "This time, I am the one to break his nose. Yeah, it´s the first thing to do…"


	12. Chaos of emotion

They arrived Deacons new club `The Underworld´ one hour before Midnight. Outside there was a crowd of young people who stood in line to get inside. Marcus led them easy through them and reached the entrance where the door men let them in. It was a huge one-storied building. The dance floor was surrounded by bars. The whole in black and red colored room was jam-packed and Jade had had no clue where to find Frost and the others. Marcus, who had been there before opening pointed to a door on the left side and Jade took his hand for not getting lost.

The private rooms were crowded too, but it was easy to point out Deacon and Cury. As Marcus and Jade approached them, Deacons look was first surprised then turned angry when he looked at Jade.

He began "I didn´t think you would have the guts to come here…" then Marcus´ fist hit him hard. Deacon stumbled backwards but didn´t fell. He needed a moment to realize what happened.

"How could you do that to my little girl, you fcking bastard. " Marcus accused him.

"Me? Moment something's wrong here, Marcus. I didn´t know what she told you, but..."

"She told me everything, Deacon. I told you, she was a friend of me and you played on me."

"I didn´t play on you, Marcus. I didn´t know her at all when you told me about her. Then she came here with Blade. I needed information."

At last Jade intervened. "You don´t wanted any information. You wanted to play cat and mouse game with me."

Deacon gave her a cold glance. "You shut up. What do you want here? You're not welcome."

Jade sighed. "Oh, Deacon, please. It´s important. I have to talk to you."

"But I don´t want to talk to you. You have stolen away in the middle of the night, so stay away. And then you send him," he nodded at Marcus, "to baste me, because your to sneaky to do it yourself."

"That´s not fair." Jade told him. She got more and more angry. "If you would let me explain instead of being this bullheaded because I grieved your male ego…"

"I´m not bullheaded at all, you little bitch…" he hissed. "Perhaps your other men are so dump to accept you treat them like shit but I don´t need that."

"My other men? What do you think of me?" Jade asked in shock. "I don´t have any other men…"

"No?" Deacon asked malicious. "You were so easy to get laid that I thought…"

Jade ran away, her eyes filled with tears.

Marcus made a step forward. "That's enough, Deacon."

Deacon raised an eyebrow. "Is it? Well, you should know, cause you were her number one, aren´t you?

Marcus fist hit him again and this time Deacon hit the floor.

"I don´t know what you're thinking, Frost, but she´s not like the whores you fck all the time. Don´t bother about this. I will make sure you will never lay your hands on her. "

Marcus turned and followed Jade. He caught up with her outside the door on the parking lot. "Wait, babygirl, I come with you. Let´s leave."

Jade turned and looked at him. The tears finally run upon her cheeks. "No, we have to tell him."

"Why? Why should you help him after all." Marcus shook his head.

"But we can´t let Blade kill him this way." She cried.

"Why not? It´s his fault. He is too vain to accept his weaknesses. He don´t know his first man and he don´t know you. He cares a fck for you or anybody else. And he will die alone as he earns it."

Marcus lit two cigarettes and reached one to her. She took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.

"No, Marcus. You´re right with him, but I won´t let this happen. After this I never want to see him again, but now…. And don´t forget, Marcus, I´m here Blade send me. Perhaps we were watched."

"Perhaps… so what are you going to do?"

"What can I do? I will go back and play the game. And think about an explanation for this scene."

Jade took another drag, threw the cigarette away and wiped off the tears. Then she turned and walked back.

Back in the private rooms she searched for Deacon. With shock Jade realized he stood there with Jack Dreed and rubbed his aching chin, where Marcus hit him. Before Jade could turn away he spotted her and looked at her with illegible features. Jade swallowed and went straight to him. For better or worse she has to play her role. Dreed fixed her.

"Hi, I´m Jade. You are Lord Frost, I think. It´s an honor to meet you. I heard a lot about you."

Deacon looked at her as if she was out of her mind, then to Marcus who grimaced desperately to him to keep cool.

"Marcus told me about you." Jade began again. "I begged him to take me with him, when he told me you invited him."

It was a risk to act as if Deacon and her didn´t knew each other, but she hoped Blade hadn´t told him everything. Blade kept his knowledge in secret most of the time. She hoped it would be the same with Dreed. Blade would not trust him, so he would just tell him what he needed to know.

Dreed smiled without suspicion. Either he was a better actor then she was or he believed her role. She hoped so.

"Jade. It´s an honor to meet you." Deacon said politely and Jade relaxed a little. "Yes, Marcus told me about you." He kissed her hand. "You're even more beautiful then he said."

Jade was so glad Deacon had realized something was wrong.

"This is Jack. My first man." He introduced Dreed.

Dreed also kissed her hand. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, miss." He said.

"Lord Frost, your club is wonderful. I have to congratulate you."

"Thank you, Jade." He smiled so affectionate, Jade found it hard to believe that five minutes ago he had been so cruel to her. "If you want to I´ll show you around."

"Oh yes, please, Deacon. " She smiled seductive. "You´re so nice. I was afraid, you´re too busy to care about somebody like me." Jade tried to show him, that it was good he act like way and don´t show his anger.

"Of course, sweetness, I think it should be the most important thing to do to care about beautiful girls. And you are extraordinary beautiful.

Jade laughed charming. Yes, he had understood.

Deacon offered her his arm and they walk into the main room of the club. They remained silent a while. Deacon fetched her a glass of champagne and reached it to her.

"So, what´s the matter, Jade?" he finally asked.

"Please, not here. Just do what I say. You have to seduce me so that we can go to your room. It must everything seem completely normal."

He looked confused. "You want me to do what?"

"Seduce me. Please, Deacon. I will explain everything, but right now…. Let us dance." She swallowed the champagne at once and they went to the floor.

Deacon pulled her in his arms. The music was fast and hard and they were pressed together.

"Please, Deacon." She whispered in his ear.

He gave her a last look just to reassure she means it seriously, his fingers began to wander down her back. He came even closer and he caressed her softly. He nibbled with his teeth on the tip of her ear. "You have a lot to explain me, sweetness." He said soundless. She felt his breath on her cheek and shivered. Oh god, it was so wonderful in his arms. She braced herself.

They danced a while then he pulled her with him on an empty couch and kissed her carefully. She kissed him back softly. His kisses were soft and seductive and she snuggled against him.

"More." She claimed.

Frost hugged her stronger. "You are welcome."

They caressed and kissed half an hour and Jade forgot everything around her. Not until he took her hand and directed her back to the private room, she remembered that she wasn´t here to be loved by him but to safe him and that he was an abusing asshole.

They met Marcus standing on the bar.

"Marcus. Please allow me to kidnap your little girl for a while." He asked him.

"Of course. But treat her kind, you roué."

"I will, Marcus." I promise. "I will bring her back to you safely."

Marcus nodded to Jade and Deacon and she left the club.


	13. Armistice

Deacon led Jade to his grey- black Porsche and opened the door for her and Jade slipped in. They drove through the dark night. No stars could be seen on the sky just heavy clouds. The heat was very close. Perhaps it would rain tonight, Jade thought. And as if she waved a magic wand the first raindrops fell on the pane. The rain got louder and louder while the storm grew heavier. Inside the car Deacon and Jade kept shtum. Deacon starred at the street in front of them and concentrated on the driving. Jade didn´t know if this was good or not. Not to talk meant not to argue, but otherwise this silence scared her. She felt queasy and wished he would just say something, anything, so she could answer and relieve tension. Blade but nothing happened.

Against all odds she wished he would long for her hand or turn and smile his fatally smile. Maybe she was just a girl and the endearment they shared a few minutes ago it was like to be thrown in the deep end. But Deacon stayed unapproachable.

Ten minutes later which seemed to Jade like hours they reached Deacons primary club with the penthouse in the top of the building. The storm had turned out to a thunderstorm and bolts lighted the sky. Deacon parked a few meters from the entrance but when Jade got in she was soaked to the skin. Her cutty blue skirt was sticked to her skin and her hair plastered to her scalp. She shivered when they got in the elevator but Deacon deigned to look at her. He stepped out first and opened the door to his apartment with his code and Jade didn´t look at it at all. She did not want to know it at all and she wouldn´t tell blade anything.

Deacon entered first and Jade had to follow. His contempt of her was shown hard and deep. He walked away while Jade stood still in the living room not knowing what to do. He returned with a towel and one of his shirts.

"Get yourself dry and change." He ordered. "You´re sopping my expensive carpet."

Before Jade could answer he turned and left again.

While Jade changed and rubbed herself dry, her anger came back to her. What was this arrogant rogue thinking about her? She wasn´t here to excuse but to safe his damned unlife. She put on the shirt and walked after him.

She opened the door to his bedroom where he had disappeared and stormed in eager to tell him what she things about his decrying behavior.

"So, Deacon, it´s enough, you can´t treat me like this, you…. ….. fuck, you´re naked." She screamed.

Indeed he stands there full naked, towel in hand. Jade swallowed. He raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, I am. You are in my home in my sleeping chamber and no one asked you in." He answered cold and challenging. "Tell me what you wanted to tell and then leave." He made no afford to dress.

"Fine." It would be to concede defeat to leave now. "I´m here to help you and you should be thankful for it after all you done to me. You have no right to treat me like that." Her voice was strong again.

"I don´t know why you are here. Perhaps you´ll tell me, before you make demands. But if you wish, I will show myself thankful." He challenged her in a dangerous tone and stepped towards her.

Jade wanted to shy away from him, but that also would mean to concede defeat so she stood still.

"Go away from me." She hissed.

"Oh, I won´t. You´re a selfish, spoiled girl and I´ll show you know, that you can´t behave like this with me."

Now Jade tried to get away, but of course he was faster, much faster. He reached her hands and pulled them over her head to the wall. She tried to kick at him, but he was to close so there was to less space to make it effective. His face was so near, their foreheads met. His lips just a few inches away from hers, he whispered.

"You want that, aren´t you?"

"I want you to let me go. I hate you." She cried out desperate.

"You hate me? Fine, that will make it easier."

Deacon kissed her so hard, she can´t breathe anymore, his body pressing against her.

She winded and fighted, but it was no use. Just before Jade blanked out, he let her go. Sweet air poured into her lungs and felt dizzy. Deacon picked her up and carried her to his bed. Not until she felt the blankets under her, she began to struggle. It was futile. He removed the shirt and his hands wandered over her breasts. He pressed so hard she screamed in pain and kicked even harder.

"Do you like it, sweetness? Oh no, I forgot, you hate it, right? Oh, I will make you beg for more." He told her with a little laughter.

"Let me go, you fcking bloodsucker. I will kill you for this." Jade warned him.

He laughed louder. "Oh yes, you certainly do this."

He undressed her entirely and, with one hand still holding her arms, his other hand caressed her.

All her struggling just pressed her nearer to him, so she lay still, while his hands wandered over her body and against her will she got more and more impassioned. Deacon realized her thrill and let her arms go. Jade wrapped them around him, and replied his kisses eagerly.

After they made love, they laid on the wet sheets, their sticky bodies cuddled up together.

"Fine." Deacon said when he calmed down. "I´m a little less angry. Tell me what you wanted to tell me. But not here. Dress und come with me."

Jade slipped from the bed, put on shirt and panty and went after him. He was on the terrace, in pants, naked from the waist up. The thunderstorm was over and the air was warm and damp. The only light came from the under- water spots in the pool. The movements and curls of the water threw soft shadows on his face. He waited till she sat down next to him and reached her a cigarette. She took it and gave him a thankful smile.

"So, sweetness. Tell me." He requested.

Jade starred into the sky where the last clouds moved on fast. Then she told him.


	14. In the bright light of day

Jade told Deacon everything about the betrayal of his first man and Blades plan to kill him in the first light of day, when Dreed will open the doors for Blade and his men. Deacon listened silent. When Jade ended he remained silent. Jade watched him close for a few minutes. He lit another cigarette but then seemed to forget about it. It burned out in his hand. He just stared into space. His features were absolute expressionless. Suddenly he shook his head and came back to reality. He threw away the fag and rose to get inside. Bewildered Jade followed him. He poured whiskey into two glasses, added an ice cube at each glass and handed one to Jade without any word. He went back outside. Again Jade was the one to follow.

"Why did you leave me last night?" he finally asked her after sitting down again.

"Wha.. What?" Jade stuttered. "Didn´t you understand what I told you? Blade and Dreed?"

"I understood very well. Why did you leave me?" he repeated.

"I´m not here to argue about that, Deacon. I´m here to warn you, nothing more."

"Good." Deacon took a sip. "Then leave."

"Leave? No, of course not." Jade considered if Deacon was out of his mind. "Why should I leave now? We have to do something, make plans for…"

Deacon looked at her, his gaze cold as ice. "There is no WE, Jade. Dreed is my first man and this is my problem and I´ll solve it alone. You get that? Without you."

Jade slammed her glass on the table beside her. "I don´t think, I get that, Deacon. I risk my ass for you, breaking with Blade, who will probably kill me for ruin his plan. I let Karen down who will help me and is like a big sister to me, and I abandoned all that just for you and you send me away like a stupid silly child?" she screamed full of rage.

Deacon stayed cool. "No, I´m not as callous as you apparently think I am. I´ll give you cover within my means. You can have everything you want from me. I am grateful for your efforts. Perhaps you´ll like to go with Marcus. He would be delighted to have you around, I think."

Jade shivered in anger. "You´re a son of a bitch, Frost. I don´t want nothing of you. Do you hear me, I think you´re a bastard and I hope Blade kills you and no one will mourn about it. I will kill you myself, if you give me the chance."

He shook his head and stood up. "You don´t behave like a slayer, but like a hysterical child. Not very much scary, my dear. And about your feelings… I couldn´t care less. So, please, stop screaming and leave, you bore me."

Jade bit on her lip but didn´t felt the pain. Fighting back her tears she stepped towards him and beat him in his cold face, and then she turned and ran away.

Deacon watched her leaving and slamming the door behind her. For fcks sake, he thought, why am I so cruel to her? She wanted to help and, in fact, there aren´t a lot others who cared about him these times. He´d lost his whole team when Blade ruined this LaMagra thing. Quinn is dead, Rachel´s dead long before and all the others. Yes, they were like sheep. But at least, they had been there. Since Mercury and he had awoken in the temple of night, feeling cold and ill, pain all over their bodies and too hungry too think clearly, things between them changed. Cury was with him as always but more and more she went out on her own. He was feeling lonely sometimes, alone within a crowd. It wasn´t a physical loneliness, but a lack of people who understood him. Jade did. He liked talking to her, arguing with her, and yes, he liked the feeling of her warm, sweet-tasting body.

He went to the balustrade and looked at the shape of the lighted city. Last night he thought she felt the same, but either she never did, or the feeling has got lost in the bright light of day. Perhaps it was his male ego she hurt so much, but it ached deeper than that, it seemed hard to breathe when he was thinking about her. Fine, he said to himself, stop that. She´s gone. Let her go.

Jade left the building and got in one of the caps which waited in front of the club in the ground floor. Tears ran down her cheeks and she whipped it away time and again. She couldn´t get back to the Club where Marcus was waiting for her. Coming back to Marcus without Deacon would raise suspicion. She told the driver an address two blocks away from Blades hideout. She leaned back and tried to think about what she could tell Blade about tonight but her thoughts concentrated on Deacon. Damn it, if he don´t want me, I´ll give a fck about him. Jade decided. She didn´t want to talk about last night. It couldn´t be. It was hopeless to love him. Not only there were too many differences standing between them, he just showed what a benumbed asshole he was.

Blade waited for her in the old industrial building which was their home for the time they stayed here in Detroit. He sat on the kitchen table, cleaning his pump gun.

"Jade, you´re early. What happened?" he greeted her.

She sat down after getting a cup of coffee. "Where is Dreed?" she asked instead of telling what happened. She had to find out what Blade knew about her and Deacon.

"Out. Tell me what happened."

Whistler joined them.

"Huh, yes, I…" she cleared her throat. "Well, I meet Frost in the club, Marcus introduced me. It went all fine. He took me with him in his apartment. Unfortunaly he is very mistrustful. I couldn´t see any security systems and I couldn´t see the code he used to open the door."

"That´s bad. But we know now that there is a code panel, perhaps Whistler could do something to get us inside. What else you noticed?"

"There´s a large room used as living room, with four doors and a terrace." Jade added.

"What´s behind the doors?" Blade asked further.

"I don´t know." Jade answered truthfully. "I just know the second door on the right is… huh, the sleeping chamber." Against her will Jade flushed.

"Well, that´s not much…" Blade said.

"It should be enough for you. I did what you wanted from me." Jade hissed. "What is happening now?"

"We do it tomorrow morning. We have all information we can get."

"Tomorrow, but… that´s fast, isn´t it?" Fck, what could she do? "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. That´s too big for you." Blade ordered.

"I thought about going to Karen and her team for a while." Jade noted.

Whistler looked at her. "So you wanna leave?"

"Yeah, just for a while. I need a time out."

Blade nodded in agreement. "Go today. I want you far away tonight. You´re too much involved."

Without a word Jade left the room to get her stuff.


	15. Magic moments

Up in her room Jade packed her stuff, her clothes and her weapons. She´s got a couple of silver stakes, a shotgun and a few small handguns. Thereto belonged silver bullets, several filled with garlic and silver nitrate. She threw all this in an old army kitbag, shouldered the bag with her remaining property, and went downstairs to say goodbye.

Whistler and Blade sat there with Jack Dreed, bent over a blueprint of a building, probably Deacons home.

"Hey." She said, trying to catch a glimpse of the blueprint.

Blade and Whistler looked up. Dreed leered at her. She wished she could beat the shit out of him.

"Are you ready?" Blade asked.

"Yes, I am. I just wanted to say Goodbye."

Whistler stood up and closed her into his arms. "Take care of yourself, Jade." He told her in his deep voice.

"I will, take care of you also, and thanks for everything. Don´t risk too much, okay?" she pressed out with tears filling her eyes.

"Hey, girl, you act like that´s goodbye forever. We keep in contact, Karen always knows where to find us."

"Yeah, I know." Jade fought back the tears.

Blade made no effort to a talk to her, so she took one last look, got in her little battered car and left.

She drove through the streets without aim and finally stopped at a parking lot outside the centre of the city. She took her cell and called Karens number.

"Hi Jade." Karen addressed her. "Where have you been? I expected your call a while earlier."

"Sorry, Karen. I didn´t want to let you down. It´s gotten difficult here. And I need your help."

"Of course I´ll help you. Where are you?"

"Still Detroit… Karen, I can´t come. I have to clean something up here. Karen, if Blade calls, can you tell him, that I´m with you? Please." Her voice became disarming.

"Jade, are you in trouble?" she asked concerned.

"Yes, perhaps, but I can´t tell… I will tell you, I promise, but... later, when it´s over."

"Is it about Frost?"

Jade tried to hide her amazement. "Why do you ask?"

"Blade told me what he is up to. And what he made you do for him. You told me Frost and yourself, that you met him before and that it´s over… but it isn´t over, huh?"

Jade snuffled. She seemed to be all tears the last days. "It is, Karen, he´s such a jerk."

Karen laughed. "That´s what I´m saying about Blade all the time but still I can´t forget him. Okay, I´ll help you. But I don´t think you can come to me after this. No hunter unit will accommodate a traitor."

"I thought about going with Marcus when it´s over. I will call you, Karen and tell you. And I hope we stay friends though no one else will."

"I will. I´m too excited how this works out."

"Thanks, Karen. It means a lot to me." Jade hung up.

She stopped at Deacons house, where Marcus stayed while he was in the city. To get inside you could go through the club or through another private entrance on the left side off the building, which leads into a reception hall. A security guard was sitting behind a counter, watching everybody who´s going in or out. Jade knew, just a push on a button and he will have several guards for backup.

When she went in the guard addresses her. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Yes, I have to speak to Lord VanSciver, please."

"Lord VanSciver is busy." He answered cold.

"Yup, I know. He awaits me." She affirmed.

"I have no information about that, miss. I´ll tell him you are here when…"

"For fucks sake, you will tell him now…" She screamed. "Oh, I´ll do it myself."

She took her cell and dialed his number. "Hi, Marcus… I´m on the reception and the guard won´t let me in. … Yes, okay… "Marcus would come down for her.

"Hi, babygirl." He took her in his arms. "Where have you been? I thought you would stay till I come back."

"Sorry, Marcus, I had to get out of here. Did I wake you up? We need to talk. Can we go to your rooms?" she excused.

"No, I was still awake. Let´s go." He laid his arms around her waist and leaded her to the elevator.

She got in. "Hmm, Marcus, is Deacon with you?"

"No, he´s in his rooms, sleeping I think, should I call him?"

"Oh, please don´t." Jade exclaimed.

Marcus grinned. "You two quarrel again? The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love…"

"Oh, shut up, Marcus." Jade moaned.

She sat down on his sofa and took thankful a cup of coffee.

"Oh thanks, Marcus. That will do well."

"Did you actually sleep?" he asked.

"No, I didn´t… huh, when I came home, Dreed was there and they will do it tonight. That´s why I´m here. Did you talk to Deacon, yet?"

"Tonight, they waste no time, aren't they?" He answered dryly. "No, I didn´t talk to him. I asked him where you were, but he was short with me. What happened?"

"What happened? He sends me away. He don´t want me with him. He said this is his fight and I should leave. I told him, I won´t." She told him.

"And?" Marcus dug deeper.

"Huh, yeah…. I think in the end he called me a silly child and I promised to kill him." Jade admitted.

Marcus gave her a bright smile. "That´s my babygirl."

"I told you to shut up." She said amused.

"Unfortunaly we will need him to make further plans, so please promise me, you won´t kill him right away."

"I´ll try to brace myself." She promised.

Deacon didn´t answer the phone, so Marcus decided to go upstairs to his apartment. Jade followed him.

"Stay here, Jade, I´ll go get him."

"I´ll come with you." Jade answered back.

"You can´t stop to nettle him, huh?"

Jade grinned. "Please, what an assumption."

Marcus knocked on Deacons door. Nothing happened. Marcus knocked harder. There was sound and murmur behind the door.

Deacon opened the heavy door. He was just wearing a boxer and looked crumpled from sleep. "I told you I won´t be disturbed… " He saw Jade. "Oh no… not you again. You´re like a limpet."

"Did you really believe you just have to tell me to stay away, and I disappear? Not even you can be that stupid."

"What do you want?" he mumbled.

"Perhaps you ask us in for a start." Marcus suggested.

Deacon opened the door to let them in. "Give me five minutes."

While Deacon disappeared in his sleeping room to dress, Marcus and Jade sat down on the couch. They smoked without speaking until Deacon came back.

"So, Marcus, what´s going on." He addressed Marcus ignoring Jade.

"Jade came directly from Blade to me. It´s seems that Blade will do it right tomorrow morning." Marcus answered looking at Jade.

"Blade´s in a hurry? Has he got a date, or something?" Deacon asked relaxed.

"Don´t be so sarcastic." Jade threw in. "Do you have a plan?"

"If I have one, I won´t tell you. I told you, I want you to stay out of my business." He snarled.

"So you don´t, right?" She hissed back.

"Don´t be arguing again, children." Marcus stopped them. "That´s a serious matter."

Deacon leaned back in his armchair. "We let them come in and kill them. End of story."

"Forget it, bloodsucker." Jade ordered. "You can make with Dreed whatever you want, but you won´t harm Blade or Whistler."

Deacon broke out in laughter. "You can´t be serious. This is a golden opportunity, I won´t let it pass up."

"You will or I call Blade immediately." Jade warned him.

"And what´s your awesome plan, sweetness?" he asked shirty.

Jade kept silent.

"Nothing? Sweetness, I´m gutted about you." He replied coolly.

"Stop quarreling." Marcus screamed. "You´re so bothersome, both of you. I can´t stand it."

"Sorry, Marcus." Jade muttered.

"Yup, sorry." Deacon said quiet.

"We will wait for them, trap them before they can do any harm. Deacon, you can do with Dreed whatever you want, but I propose to make an example of it. Blade and Whistler can go after they promised to leave us alone." Marcus ordered.

"You mean I have to let this motherfucker alive, just because this silly goose." He pointed at Jade.

"Silly goose?" she quoted him. "Without that silly goose you would be dead by dawn, you ignorant fool."

Marcus suffered from a bad headache. "I´ve heard enough. I will go to bed and sleep till sunset. And woe betides you two if you disturb me." He got up and left, leaving Jade and Deacon alone.

They glared silent at each other. Finally Jade stood up and stretched. "I have to sleep as well. You have a guestroom in here?"

"No, not in here. I have a suite for guests and Marcus sleeps in there. But you can sleep on the couch."

"You´re so generous, bloodsucker. But I have to decline." She smiled. "I´ll take your bed."

"Now, this is an unexpected pleasure…"

"Don´t be silly, you sleep on the couch." Jade rolled her eyes and went into his bedroom before Deacon could protest.

She closed the door, sighed with pleasure and undressed. She slipped under she blankets and closed her eyes, but she was unable to sleep. Deacons' presence was too obvious. She imagined Deacon outside the wooden door, lying on the sofa in his boxers and shirt. His smell surrounded her, leaking from the bedclothes. She tossed and turned finding no rest.

Jade realized it was no use rumbling the sheets. She got up and tiptoed out of the room to catch herself a glass of water. Deacon wasn´t on the couch. She decided to go straight to the kitchen, on the other side of the living room. But when she sipped on the fresh cold water, the curiosity overwhelmed her. She walked barefoot, with glass in hand, in panty and top, through the apartment. Carefully she opened the first door. Behind it was a second bathroom, or better said, a wellness oasis with sauna, whirlpool and shower, there was a separate with another toilette. The main bathroom was private and belonged to the sleeping chamber. She looked into the last room, which turned out to be Deacons study room, held in cold grey and white colors. Deacon sat in this office chair, turned away from the desk, looking outside into the night through the full height windows.

"Finished sneaking around?" He greeted her.

"I... Uh, I didn´t sneak around… I was looking for you."

"Is that so? Why have you been searching me?" he asked drily.

"You weren´t on the sofa, so I thought…" She broke up. "No matter. What are you doing?"

Deacon turned with the chair, fixing her. "You´re curios and you were sneaking around, Jade. But you´re right, it doesn´t matter. I can´t sleep, perhaps because I had to sleep on the couch, while you occupied my bed. So, why don´t you sleep?"

Jade squared her shoulders. "I dunno."

"Want a cup of coffee? I´ll make some for us if you wish." He offered.

"I´d like to." She nodded.

Deacon made the coffee and they sat down at the couch.

"So, sweetness, what are you up to, when this is over." He tried to make conversation.

"I thought about going with Marcus as you suggested."

"Yeah, do that. Perhaps I can finally sleep then."

"You mean I am stealing your sleep?" She smiled.

"Indeed, you do. You´re difficult, loud and get on my nerves. A real challenge." He smiled back politely.

"That´s just what I would say about you." She answered.

"You´re moody and childish." He completed.

"You´re sarcastic and cynical." He told him in the same tone.

"You´re like a bipolar."

"You behave like a manic sometimes, Deacon."

"I´m a manic? You are abusing and crude."

"You´re the promiscuous man I ever met." She hissed.

"Am I? Says the girl which jumped into bed with me without knowing my name?"

"Fck… I never did something like that before."

"I know." He confirmed.

Jade frowned. "You did? Why?"

"You have been so sweet, so innocent."

"Am I that transparent?" She bit her lip.

"To me, you are. It´s like as if I knew you…"he began.

And Jade completed. ".. all my life."

Their eyes met and caught at each other. They kept silent. Deacons' cell phone rang, disturbing the magic moment.

Looking at it, he decided to ignore it. He pursed his lips, about to speak to her. "Jade, I…"

Someone knocked at the door. "Lord Frost, Jack Dreed is here and wants to talk to you. He says it´s important."


	16. Ready to fight

"Go back to the study." Deacon ordered. "I´m curious about what this motherfcker wants."

He left Jade and opened the door. Jade couldn´t see them but hear everything. She heard Dreed come in. He and Deacon went to the living room.

"Deacon, thanks for immolate your time for me."

"No prob. What´s the matter?" Deacon murmured.

"Oh, It was just a thought coming to my mind. Today nothing spectacular will happen in the club. It´s the middle of the week. So I could arrange an emergency exercise with the whole security team. We didn´t do this for months." Dreed proposed.

Deacon tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, that´s a good idea. We neglected that too long."

Dreed nodded.

"We must be prepared for unexpected things to happen." Frost added and sighted Dreeds face for a sign of concern. Dreeds features gave nothing away. "Okay, do it tonight, Jack."

They bowed out and Deacon returned to Jade. He seemed downhearted.

"Until the last second I thought he would admit his betrayal…" he sighed. "I´d known him for such a long time. What´s the reward Blade offered him?"

"I don´t know." Jade said. "They never talked about that."

She went over to him and laid her hand on his arm. He looked at her.

"So, there will be a fight tonight." He suspired.

"Yeah, but we´re prepared, aren´t we?" She tried to calm him.

He smiled and turned away. "Yes, you´re right. Let´s try to sleep, we really need it."

Deacon sat down on the couch again. Jade stood still were she was, then breathed deeply and went towards the bedroom.

"Sleep well." She said.

Just before she closed the door Deacon stood up.

"Jade, wait, please." He said in rough tone.

She looked up to him and he came to her, closing her tenderly in his arms.

"Please wait." He muttered , burrowed his face in her hair, smelling the sweet taste of her perfume.

Jade laid her hands on his cheeks to look at his face. He pursed his lips again and Jade asked wondered if this was a gesture of insecurity.

"There will be fighting tonight and… yes I know, we have the advantage on our side, but… there´s always the chance of getting hurt… perhaps a ricochet shot or…" His voice faded away. "I know we´re arguing all the time and there´s not one thing whereat we agree in… and you´ll leave me when this is over…"

"Deacon, that´s…" she whispered.

"No, don´t cut me off." He pleaded. "I just want to feel you one last time. I need you so much, Jade. And I don´t want to hear arguments or excuses, nothing. Just be mine now."

Jade pressed her lips together silently. When he leaned in to kiss her, she drew nearer and opened her lips for him.

Jade opened her eyes six hours after. She felt warm and safe. Deacon slept silent on his left side, his face nestled up against her shoulder, his arm around her waist. She sighed and leaned over him. With a kiss on his bristly cheek she woke him up. He moaned and pulled her closer to kiss her.

She enjoyed five minutes of pure caressing, then told him. "It´s time."

"I know." He muttered, then sat up and took his cell.

He called Marcus. "Come up here in thirty minutes, please. And bring Cury along."

After Jade had showered, she painted her face and primped her hair while waiting for Deacon, who was showering yet.

"You wanna hunt now?" she asked loudly to drown out the falling water.

He switched off the shower and stepped out.

"Umm, no... Why?" He asked while drying himself with a black fluffy towel.

"I... I just thought, it´s nighttime and you are… uhmm, hungry perhaps…" She flushed. "We never spent a whole night together, and I never saw you feeding."

"Well." Deacon said slowly. "That´s not my fault. I remember you were the one who left me…"

"Dammit, yes, I know… I left you in the middle of the night, yes, and you´re angry about that... and yes, I´m sorry…" She grouched and then demanded. "Can we please close that thread?"

Deacon laughed. "I think about it. You´re right, I´m hungry. But I don´t have to hunt. There´s a supply in the fridge."

"Huh, should have thought about that." Jade bit her lip. "Deacon?"

"Yes?"

"How often do you hunt?" She had to ask him.

"Hmmm, I don´t need to hunt. I can buy my blood in the vampire mart. Vamp´R´us, you know." He grinned.

"Don´t make fun with me, bloodsucker." She sulked and pulled a face. "So you hunt just for fun."

"That´s it… sometimes you can´t avoid it… I go in a club, there´s this skinny blond…" He began.

"From Sweden?" She asked.

"Yup, from Sweden… this skinny blond Swedish girl… and she flirt with me…"

"With long lashes and blue eyes…" She added.

"… and she winks at me… and I ask her for a drink…"

"And, of course, she wants something sweet and colorful…" She guessed.

Deacon grinned. "And after this… sweet colorful drink she likes to dance… and her blood smells so sweet... you understand, who could resist?"

They both broke into laughter.

They went to the kitchen. Jade boiled water for a vanilla cappuccino, while Deacon got out the blood from the fridge. It wasn´t filled in blood preservatives but in a lead crystal carafe.

Fascinated Jade watched him pour it in a glass and take a sip. Deacon looked at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked carefully.

"Why shouldn´t I? Oh, no, it´s okay, drink it. How does it taste like?"

He took another sip and smiled. "Try it…"

"No, NO… that´s too much…" She shivered.

"It taste some kind of metallic… but, it don´t tastes good like marshmallows or chocolate muffins... it tastes like… huh, soda... no real taste at all, but… I need it, my body needs it… so I long for it and when I haven´t drunk for a long time I´m convinced it´s the most delicious thing in the world." He tried to explain.

"Like a human in the desert longing for water…"

"Yes, exactly." He nodded.

When she finished her coffee and sat down next to him at the kitchen bar Deacon turned to her and smiled. "When we met the first time… you also had such a sweet colorful drink, aren´t you?"

A few minutes later Mercury and Marcus came in. The sun had fallen completely and the four Allies sat down on the terrace lit by some candles on the table and the soft pool spots. Marcus was wearing a tailored black suit as always and looked very handsome. Mercury instead had been looking forward to another night at the club and put on a short white dress with black waistbelt. Jade was dressed in black baggys and girlyshirt, ready to fight. She needed a maximum of free moving space. Deacon looked as usual very casual and underestimated, but his clothes were the same expensive as Marcus´. He was barefoot and sat with one foot on Jade chair. For the two guests, Marcus and Cury, this showed clearly the intimate atmosphere between them, although Jade and Deacon didn´t realize this change in their relationship.

"Deac´, I´m bursting with curiosity. Marcus didn´t tell me what´s going on, he just told it´s important and you know how I hate being expelled." Cury beat the devil´s tattoo on the armrest of her chair.

"Cool down, Cury, I´ll tell you."

Deacon told them the whole story. Marcus knew the most of it, he just looked up when Deacon reported about Dreeds visit in this noon.

"And what are we going to do now?" Mercury asked when she heard everything.

"Okay, I have thought about it. Just cut me off, when you have other ideas, okay?"

He looked at Jade and she nodded calmly.

"It all has to look normal in here. Blade expects that I am here and all the guards in the training room in the basement. If he didn´t change his plans he will go there first to eliminate the guards so that he can deal with me without interruption.

"If he changed his plans we have to improvise." Marcus said.

Jade agreed.

"We should let him go till he gets to the guards. Dreed will have them all called to one room so that Blade could kill them easily. When he´s in the basement we should take the advantage."

"Before he kills the guards." Cury said. "That´s a question of the right timing."

"Can we inform the guards without Dreed get to know it?" Jade asked.

"I don´t know. I could try to induct a minor guard, but I´m not sure the one´s clever enough." Deacon thought out loud.

"But there´s my personnel guards Marcus suggested. "They are not under Dreeds command. We´ll instruct them and they could spread it to the others."

"Call them." Deacon said and Marcus took his cell to summon his chief of security. "They will join the fight when we give the order. Time will reveal how we act when we get there."

Marcus first man arrived and they told him his commands. He turned pale while listening to Marcus, then accepted the task. He was silent and solid man and Marcus ensured them he will do his job loyal and faithful.

After that they all calmed down. It was early evening and they had the whole night to spend. Blade wouldn't arrive before six in the morning. So they relaxed and talked the night away, avoiding to think about the dawn.


	17. The fight

One hour before sunrise all of them fell silent. The tension was almost tangible. Then they all stood up and went into the first floor. Blade would come in through the club or the private entrance and then, if everything went right, he will struggle to the basement. Deacon, Jade, Cury and Marcus would wait till he arrived there and then they would ambush him. The waiting time seemed to stretch to hours. Marcus leaned at the wall staring into the air, Mercury went up and down. Deacon smoked too much, repeating their steps again and again with soundless murmur. Jade sat on the floor, her heart beating against her chest, her stomach ached. She felt so sick and wanted to be far away. This wasn´t her first fight but she knew how strong Blade was. All she could think about was hoping Blade will give up soon and they don´t have to fight him. After all, he was her friend, her mentor, the only family she had during the past years.

Then, suddenly, an alarm shrilled. It was the alarm button they gave to Marcus first man/ chief of security. Blade had arrived.

They jumped to their feet and rushed down the steps of the fire escape. The wide difference between the tensed waiting time and the sudden action made Jades senses fuzzy. But when she arrived at the battlefield everything was clear, in a strange way she seemed to see everything all at once.

Blade stood in the middle of the room with Dreed on his side. The guards didn´t moved, apparently confused of the sudden pop up of these strong deep black man, they all known as Blade, the Daywalker. Shocked by the fact that their chief, Dreed, obvious changed sides.

Blade walked forward step by step, sure of his victory. "All of you fckers listen close. As you can see, Mr. Dreed here is a wise and chose to join the side of law. Tonight, the reign of Frost comes to an end. And I will completely clear up this thing. Any of you who choose now to capitulate will from now on be commanded by Mr. Dreed. He will take command by now. The rest of you… will die right now."

Blade looked at them close, while they tried to realize what happened. "Choose now."

"Nobody but you have to choose, Daywalker." Deacon said into the silence.

Blade turned, starring at the four intruders standing behind him.

"Frost. I longed to find you. I imagined it more intimately, but… the way you´ll die makes no difference to me, the main thing is: you die."

Deacon smiled devilish and shook his head. "You just don´t fcking get it, Daywalker." He looked at the guards and nodded to them. "Arrest them."

The guards grabbed their guns and surrounded Blade and Dreed. Dreeds smile faded. "What to hell…" He noticed Jade. "You dammit bitch. You´re a traitor to your own race. You…"

"Stop it." Deacon hissed. "You are the one who betrayed me. Just because of your envy and greed."

"D... Deacon, I don´t…" he stammered.

"Oh, shut the fck up. I´ll deal with you later." Deacon voice was so full of rage, Jade wanted to duck away.

Blade hadn´t said nothing all the time, he checked out the new situation. Now he looked at Jade.

"Jade… I knew something was wrong, but I never believed, you could betray me like this." He said in rough low tone.

"Couldn´t you? I thought you trusted no one. And you never trusted me…" She answered quietly.

"So, you're my enemy?" he asked sad. "Oh, don´t think there will be a second of doubt when I kill you, but… why, Jade? Had the life of a hunter not been enough? Are you longing for money? Or living forever?"

"You´re really don´t understand me, Blade, huh? I never searched for money or fame or something... and it wasn´t the thought of never dying. I´m here because you have gotten so ruthless, I have to stop you. You´ll kill humans like cattle and you´re nothing better than the vampires you hunt. But you won´t kill these men, which are trapped by the man they´d trusted."

Blade laughed. "Are you sure, Jade? Aren´t you here because of this damned bloodsucker?" He pointed at Frost. "You little stupid girl have been seduced by this almighty lady killer."

"She´s not as stupid as you think she is, Blade. And although you might not see it that way, you should be glad she´s here." Deacon interrupted. "Only because of her, you´re not dead right now."

"I´m not dead because you´re a sissy and don´t have the guts to kill me, Frost." Blade tried to anger him.

"No, Blade, you won´t make me being careless. I know you´re strength. Here´s the deal. You´ll leave Detroit by now. This city is mine. Go hunt your vampires, but Marcus and I will have immunity. You´ll never set foot in our cities." Deacon offered him.

"Or else?" Blade asked, lifted his eyebrows.

"Or else you´ll die." Cury grinned.

Blade grinned back. "Don´t be cheeky, blondy, I´d kill you one, I´ll kill you again.

"Quit that." Marcus said. "Blade, choose now and let us close this uncomely affair."

"Marcus, how I looked forward to meet you. Jade told a lot of you." Blade said, playing politely. Then he looked at them, one after another. "Well, I choose…. You´ll die."

And the hell broke loose.

The deep sound of explosion crashed over them, then the shockwave knocked them down. Jade struggled to get up, the heat of the explosion made her gasp. Her face ached from the heat. Her eyes burned. The smoke surrounded her and she couldn´t see anything. A hand grabbed her, pulling her out of the focus of the war. Shots snapped, she felt a bullet shot past her, just a couple of millimeters from her face. Her back hit the wall. She stumbled around, pulled her gun but there was nothing to aim at, just dark clouds of smoke. Something hit her on the shoulder and felt down on the ground. Jade looked down at the dead men. It was Marcus security chief, eyes open but empty. She felt her way along the wall and reached door where the smoke was thinner. She heard Mercury scream next to her. She tumbled in direction of the sound.

Suddenly the noise of battle faded away, the shooting stopped. The sight got better slowly. She could see Whistler holding Cury arms on her back. There was no aim for her so she hided the gun and tried to check the situation.

Most of the guards were dead. The remaining men cuddled in the far end of the room held down by some hunters armed with guns and rifles. Blade got backup, it went through Jades head. We should have thought about that. Jade knew most of the hunters. One of the slayer units wandering through the country. She could see the whole room by know. Marcus and Cury were together. Whistler watched them close. Deacon was on the other edge Blades sword on his throat. Dreed laid to her left. He was dead. It was a cold comfort.

Blade spoke to them. "Nobody will blackmail me, you fckers. You really have thought I´ll go into here without backup?"

"But… why?" Jade asked confusion on her face. "You didn´t planned that…"

Blade laughed. "You´re right… I didn´t. You wanna know why I called the unit…" he asked her.

Jade nodded silent.

"You´re car is parking on the parking lot, Jade. You alone cocked this up."

Tears filled her eyes. "No,…"

"Don´t mind. It ends here and now. First I´ll take care of your lover, then I´ll send all these bloodsuckers back to hell."


	18. Battle of will

Jade bit her lips till it bleed. Blade fixed Deacon while lowering the sword. Deacon didn´t move.

"Just you and me, Frost." Blade told him. "And I´ll beat the shit out of you."

Jade couldn´t do anything. Blade hit Deacons face, broke his nose and cheekbone. He drove his knee into Deacons stomach. Frost hit the floor. Blade kicked him again and again.

Blood ran out of Deacons mouth and nose. He had a laceration on his forehead. His lips burst open. He moaned when Blades feet his chest knocking him out for a second. Blade pulled him back to his feet. He pulled his sword aiming it on Deacons heart.

The rears running over Jades smudged face left clear marks. It seemed like anyone around forgot about her. Everybody waited for Blade to finish it off. He will be dead, Jade thought. He will die and I never told him… so many things she wanted to share with him. He would never come to know how she felt for him. And they will never arguing and quarrel again and never ever she would see him mock her.

Shivering of pure desperation she pulled out her hidden gun. Stepping fast forward she crashed herself against Whistler, who couldn´t keep himself balanced because of his stiff leg. He collapsed and when he crashed on the floor Jade kicked the rifle out of his hands. Her hunter skills came back to her at once. Aiming at Whistler she screamed.

"Stop it, right now."

Blade turned, surveying the situation with one glance. He freezed.

"Let him go or I kill him." Jade shouted. Her voice became shrill.

Blade loosened his grip and Deacon fell to the floor without breaking his fall. Jade wondered if he was unconscious or just too weak to defend himself. Blade took his gun and aimed at Jade now.

"Jade." Blades face was cold and full of pure rage. "Are you out of your mind? Put that gun away."

"I´m sorry." She cried. "I can´t let this happen."

"Put that gun away or I´ll shoot you." Blade threatened her.

"Whistler will be dead before I´ll die." She whispered, but her voice sounded clear through the room.

"Why, Jade? He´s your friend." Blade asked.

"Because I love him." Jade screamed and burst into tears.

"You do what?" Blade could believe it. "You fell in love with this goddamned bloodsucker Frost? He´s a maniac. He hurts anyone who´s dump enough to come near him. He will never feel anything for you, Jade, because he isn´t able to. He´ll cheat on you and blame you. He´ll destroy your body and soul and he´ll give a fck for you."

"But I love him." She cried out loud. " Let him go."

After taking a deep breath to calm down, she requested. "Step back. Weapons on the floor. All of you."

The other men looked at Blade and didn´t moved. Blade starred at Jade and Jade starred back. It was a battle of will. The one who looked down first would lose. Finally Blade put down his sword and gun. He took his weapons from its halter and dropped them. They crashed with a terrifying metallic noise. Then Blade lifted his arms. The other men followed suit.

Marcus took a rifle, handled one of them over to Mercury.

"Okay." He said loudly. His voice was set. "Our men take the weapons. The hunters will all leave now. Take them out."

Frosts and Marcus´s guards came to life. They armed and conducted the hunters out of the room.

"If anybody plays the hero, we´ll kill the old man." Marcus remembered.

Jade was so relieved someone else had taken over control.

"The offer is still valid. Leave the town, accept mine and Deacons sovereign territories and none of you will be harmed." Marcus declared.

"How do you know I´m not going to kill you after this?" Blade requested. "I could have an army of hunters by tomorrow."

"Because you´ll give us your word. Jade told me a lot about you. She said you´re a man of honor."

Blade kept silent for a long moment, then he agreed. "You´re right. I promise not to enter your territory. But if any of you will show outside of it, I´ll kill you without mercy."

Blade turned and helped Whistler to get on his feet. They went to the exit. Before he left he turned to say. "It´s the same for you, Jade. You´ll be dead if I see you again."

They left without looking back.


	19. The end

They watched Blade and his units went away. Not until the door closed behind them Jade was able to move. She ran to Deacon who still laid on the floor breathing hard. His eyes closed he didn´t react when Jade touched his shoulder.

"Deacon?" Jade asked fearful. She touched him again and then finally he moved and moaned.

He opened his eyes, blinked a few times then fixed on her.

"Hey." he said and tried a smile.

Jade burst out in tears again.

Deacon struggeled to sit up, turned to Jade and took her in his arms. Jade pressed herself on him, sobbing in relief.

Cury sat down next to them sighing. "I can´t believe this is over. Hey, calm yourself, we have won."

Jade nodded, face still on Deacons chest.

Marcus had instructed the guards and send them away. There was a lot of reorganization to do in the hierachy of Deacons staff and new trustful men had will have to be found. When Marcus gave all necessary orders he joined the little group.

"Let´s get out of here, I need a drink and some rest. And you do either, people." he smiled.

He helped Deacon to get on his feet and supported him on their way upstairs.

In Deacons bedchamber Mercury and Marcus left them alone.

Jade helped Deacon to get on the bed and sat down beside him.

"I´m so sorry, Deacon. It´s all my fault. I´m..." Jade told him in remorse.

"Oh, shut up." Deacon stopped her. "No one thought about that, and it is over and all of us are okay."

"You are not okay. You´re hurt bad. You had almost been killed."

"But I´m not. I´m alive... or undead, you might say." he grinned. "And if you are willing make amends for it you can start with undressing me and come here into my arms."

He sat up, took her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eyes. "I love you, too, mysterious girl." he whispered.

Jade was up to cry again, but Deacon stopped her. "Enough tears, huntress. Come to bed."

In the evening Deacon had regenerated almost completely. Marcus wanted to leave tonight, but promised to come back soon. He couldn´t be away from his House for a long time in this unstable times. Deacon, Jade and Mercury said goodbye at Marcus car. He hugged Jade and they watched him drove away. When they turned to go back inside suddenly a man stood in front of them aiming with a rifle. Jade knew him, he was one of the leaders of the hunterunits. She opened her mouth but the man stopped her.

"Shut up, btch. Good evening, bloodsuckers." he grinned. "You might have forced Blade to give his stupid fckng promise that he will do no harm to you, but I still owe him something."

Without another word the pulled the trigger.

Everything went to fast for Jade now. Deacon broke the shock first, jumped forward trying to push the attacker from his feet. Mercury ran over to Jade and pulled her with herself to the ground, but she was too late. A shoot slapped. A short sharp pain burned inside her chest, the world blurred and she crashed on the rough wet ground, her head hit the asphalt.

She tried to open her eyes but the world seemed to be cloudy and diffuse. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Breathing felt harder and harder.

"Deacon." Jade screamed, or wanted to scream, but it came out without sound. Only her lips moved. Her body was light and didn´t react on her commands. "Deacon." she wanted to call again, but now her lips didn´t even open. Her world went went darker and darker. A second before Jade blanked out at all another strong pain hit her throat and flooded through her body. Then nothing more.

Thirst... that was all Jade felt when she woke up.

Thirst for life.

Thirst for love, for Deacon.

And more than anything else: Thirst for blood.


End file.
